PuK - Process Technology & Components 2022
A technical trade magazine with a history of 60 years.
A technical trade magazine with a history of 60 years.
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1 2 3 4<br />
Network pressure Pressure Required pressure Pressure range limit Volumetric flow rate<br />
7.18 bar 99.56 bar 7.00 bar 8.40 bar 11.06 bar<br />
8.5<br />
8.0<br />
7.5<br />
7.0<br />
6.5<br />
C1<br />
C2<br />
C3<br />
C14<br />
08:45 08:55 08:55 09:00 09:05 09:10 Time<br />
12.0<br />
11.0<br />
10.0<br />
9.0<br />
8.0<br />
7.0<br />
6.0<br />
09:12:47<br />
30.10.2020<br />
EN 5<br />
i<br />
Analyse<br />
& learn<br />
Unlimited options<br />
Tracking<br />
& logging<br />
Compressors<br />
C1 - ASD 60 SFC<br />
C2 - ASK 40<br />
C3 - BSD 75<br />
SAM 4.0 / 4<br />
Pressure curve<br />
Automatic<br />
Pressure curve Current values History<br />
7.18 bar<br />
Status<br />
Messages<br />
Monitoring<br />
Energy & Costs<br />
C4 - BSD 75<br />
bar<br />
m³/min<br />
Maintenance<br />
Control<br />
Time Control<br />
Initial Start-up<br />
1,2,3, n<br />
Confi guration<br />
Status - Overview<br />
Contact<br />
Optimise<br />
Simulate<br />
& evaluate<br />
Complex analysis made easy<br />
Simulation-based optimisation process<br />
Tracking and logging: With the tracking and logging of compressed air consumption and system switching activities, a predictive approach is<br />
possible. Be proactive – not reactive.<br />
Analyse and learn: The simulation-based optimisation process produces a fully objective analysis of events in the compressed air system.<br />
Over time, the system learns the key factors influencing the behaviour of the station and its components. Apply knowledge, don’t waste it.<br />
1,2,3,n<br />
Unlimited options: With the scope for action and the learned technical and system behaviour, it is possible to predict future system behaviour<br />
and events. Think first, then act.<br />
Simulate and evaluate: Through the potentially unlimited number of future simulations, future energy needs are evaluated. This supports<br />
well-informed decision making based on the true costs of various options. Compressors are no longer operated under a fixed set of rules.<br />
The advantage: System switching operations are geared to the application at hand and the customer’s needs. Progress through innovation.<br />
Optimise the system: The simulation-based optimisation process individually adjusts compressed air system operation in real-time, based on<br />
specific power. This ensures maximum energy efficiency while adapting the system to all requirements. Know what needs to be done.<br />
www.kaeser.com
1 2 3 4<br />
1 2 3 4<br />
12.01.2021<br />
SAM 4.0 / 4<br />
Automatic<br />
7.94 bar<br />
13.01.2021<br />
13:54:49 EN 2<br />
Station<br />
Status<br />
Compressors<br />
C1<br />
Power<br />
Volumetric flow rate<br />
116.04<br />
16.69<br />
kW<br />
m³/min<br />
Messages<br />
C1 - ASD 60 SFC<br />
Monitoring<br />
C2 - ASD 35<br />
C2<br />
D1<br />
F1<br />
Energy & Costs<br />
C3 - ASD 60<br />
DHS1<br />
Maintenance<br />
C4 - ASD 60<br />
Dryer<br />
D1 - TF 174<br />
D2 - TF 174<br />
Filter<br />
F1 - F184KE<br />
F2 - F184KE<br />
C3<br />
C4<br />
D2<br />
F2<br />
CT1<br />
R1<br />
100%<br />
Control<br />
Time Control<br />
Initial Start-up<br />
Confi guration<br />
Next<br />
Generation<br />
Status - Station<br />
Contact<br />
i<br />
SAM 4.0 / 4<br />
Mode manuel<br />
7.95 bar<br />
10:01:13 EN 2<br />
Station<br />
Compressors<br />
C1 - ASD 60 SFC<br />
C2 - ASD 35<br />
C3 - ASD 60<br />
C4 - ASD 60<br />
Dryer<br />
Oil filter in 450h 3000h<br />
Air filter in 150h 3000h<br />
Oil separator in 33h 3000h<br />
!<br />
! Belt/coupling inspection in 66h 35000h<br />
! Oil change in 112h 3000h<br />
! Electric equipment in 277h 36000h<br />
Bearing lube in 527h 36000h<br />
Valves in 2500h 36000h<br />
Bearing change in 2527h 12000h<br />
Group maintenance in 7058h 8550h<br />
Estimated due date for next service measure:<br />
25.12.2020<br />
Status<br />
Messages<br />
Monitoring<br />
Energy & Costs<br />
Wartung<br />
Control<br />
Time Control<br />
D1 - TF 174<br />
Initial Start-up<br />
D2 - TF 174<br />
Confi guration<br />
Filter<br />
F1 - F184KE<br />
F2 - F184KE<br />
Maintenance - Overview<br />
Contact<br />
i<br />
Efficiency has a name:<br />
SIGMA AIR MANAGER 4.0 from KAESER<br />
Centralised controllers are now expected to do more than just optimise compressor operation in line with current demand. Efficiency<br />
is playing an ever-increasing role. The days of rigid rules are over. With clear and basic switching sequences, it is no longer possible<br />
to optimise energy efficiency while responding to constant fluctuations in compressed air demand. Any rule encoded in an algorithm<br />
limits the flexibility of the system controller and reduces the scope for action.<br />
The tracking and logging of past compressed air consumption patterns makes it possible to forecast future demand. Based on these<br />
demand projections, the set-up of the components themselves, and the accumulated knowledge on the equipment and system behaviour,<br />
the unique, simulation-based optimisation process can predictively identify the most efficient switching sequences.<br />
Be proactive – not reactive. Decisions are no longer dictated by a narrow pressure range. Now the decisive factor is how to achieve<br />
the lowest costs for the required compressed air output – while maintaining the required pressure level and staying within the maximum<br />
pressure setting (pressure margin). True to the motto: “More compressed air for less energy”.<br />
P-119ED.18/21
Editorial<br />
Hydrogen in the atmosphere<br />
Dear readers,<br />
If you were to look for the most common word in today’s tech magazines, it would be hydrogen. Green, blue, turquoise,<br />
grey, it doesn’t matter, everything has come into focus. But one aspect is always missing: hydrogen is a volatile gas<br />
that, once it reaches the free atmosphere, knows only one way, and that is upwards. However, what happens then? A<br />
discussion with atmospheric chemists and meteorologists led to the following conclusion:<br />
Of course, our planet also produces hydrogen. In total there are 0.5 ppm in our atmosphere, which means an average<br />
of 175 teragrammes/year production. About 70–90 teragrammes/year come from the earth’s surface and the other<br />
half comes from photo-oxidation in the atmosphere. But if this happens per year, then that means there is a continuous<br />
stream going up. If we now artificially add hydrogen, which can be achieved worldwide through leaks and<br />
accidental releases of a comparable magnitude, then this increases the lift and possibly also the speed and disturbs<br />
the previous “equilibrium”. I know that’s probably not twice as much in real terms. But we don’t know when an equilibrium<br />
will tip over here. Should we take the risk then? So we should ask ourselves what the hydrogen is doing “up<br />
there”. On the way it will react to the free ions like hydroxides and finally reach the stratosphere, where it will find an<br />
eager reacting partner, ozone. It will turn into water with the hydrogen and increasingly form cirrus clouds. At the same<br />
time, there are still stratospheric polar winds that generate mass transport in the polar direction and possibly further<br />
reduce the already reduced ozone there. Additional cirrus clouds could also create more shadows, thus counter acting<br />
the warming. Will the sun shine less often in our future, or will a process that has not yet been researched stabilise<br />
this situation?<br />
It should not be forgotten that hydrogen is one of the most important substances of life, next to carbon, and also the<br />
most important ingredient for the most important foodstuff, water. If all the energy in the world were generated with<br />
hydrogen (which of course would never be achieved), this would correspond almost exactly to the amount of water<br />
in Lake Constance. If we now only lose 10% of this hydrogen annually, then Lake Constance would be empty after 10<br />
years. This is of course just an exaggerated example calculation, but it also shows that hydrogen is not only essential<br />
for industry, but also for the living nature of which we are a part.<br />
This is not to say that I am against hydrogen as a green alternative to fossil fuels. I just think hydrogen is valuable in a<br />
number of ways and so shouldn’t be wasted. So, make your systems as leak tight as possible and handle the hydrogen<br />
in such a way that it can always become water.<br />
So, when we talk about seals in this issue, it’s meant to be an impetus to consider the leak tightness of hydrogen<br />
systems. At the same time, plasticising metallic seals are the best choice for this purpose and LOHC is a permanent<br />
memory without loss.<br />
Kind regards,<br />
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Eberhard Schlücker<br />
PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong><br />
5
PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS<br />
Editorial Advisory Board<br />
Editorial Advisory Board <strong>2022</strong><br />
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Eberhard Schlücker, Institute for <strong>Process</strong> <strong>Technology</strong> and Machinery, University Erlangen-Nuremberg<br />
Head of the Editorial Advisory Board<br />
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Eberhard Schlücker was born in 1956 and studied mechanical engineering at the Heilbronn University of Applied<br />
Sciences and Chemical Engineering at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg where he did his doctorate in 1993. His industrial<br />
activity comprised an apprenticeship as a mechanic, three years as a designing engineer, four years as head of the R&D department<br />
and five years as proxy in the Engineering division. Since the year 2000 he has been professor and has been holding<br />
the chair in “<strong>Process</strong> Machinery and System Engineering“ at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. His subject area includes<br />
layout and operation of systems, machines and plants for chemistry, water, food and biotechnological engineering as well as<br />
practical management. His research focus is on the pulsation problem and system dynamics in plants, the optimization and simulation of pumps,<br />
compressors and systems, the high-pressure component and process technology, the application of ionic fluids, the energetic optimization of<br />
systems and the research of wear processes. At the same time, he has been editor of magazines, member of several bodies and research associations,<br />
technical consultant for companies and lecturer in international training programs and since 2008 Vice Dean of the School of Engineering.<br />
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Andreas Brümmer, Head of Fluidics at Technical University Dortmund<br />
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Andreas Brümmer, born in 1963, studied aerospace engineering at the Technical University of Braunschweig<br />
where he received a doctorate at the Institute of Fluid Mechanics in the field of Flight of Birds. His industrial career started in<br />
1997 as Head of Department for Fluid Dynamics at Kötter Consulting Engineers KG. There, he gained first experiences in the<br />
physical analysis and elimination of flow-induced vibrations in industrial plants. In 2005, he became Technical Director of the<br />
company. Since 2066, he has been professor and Head of Fluidics at the Technical University of Dortmund. His research foci<br />
included the theoretical and experimental analysis of screw-type machines, both in compressor applications (e. g. refrigeration<br />
compressors and air compressors, vacuum pumps) and in expander applications (e. g. waste heat utilization). Furthermore,<br />
he researches the interaction between unsteady pipe flow and gas flow meters. From 2008 to 2011, he was Vice Dean and Dean of the Faculty<br />
of Mechanical Enginee ring and since 2012 he has been Senator at the Technical University of Dortmund. He is reviewer of several international<br />
journals, member of industrial advisory boards and scientific committees and scientific director of the VDI symposium “Screw-Type Machines”.<br />
Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Gerhart Hobusch, Project Engineer, KAESER KOMPRESSOREN SE, Coburg<br />
Gerhart Hobusch, born in 1964, studied mechanical engineering at the University of Applied Sciences in Schweinfurt, Northern<br />
Bavaria. He graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering and completed postgraduate studies with a degree in industrial<br />
engineering. He has been working as a project engineer at KAESER KOMPRESSOREN SE, Coburg, since 1989. His responsibilities<br />
include the planning of compressed air stations, the development of economical, energy-saving concepts for compressed<br />
air stations and the worldwide training of KAESER project engineers. As part of his job, he has worked on research projects<br />
such as the “Compressed Air Efficiency” campaign, the EnEffAH joint project, as well as FOREnergy and Green Factory Bavaria,<br />
and is active in the VDMA's compressed air technology department. The standard compliant implementation of volume flow<br />
and power measurements on compressors, also in connection with China Energy Label efficiency requirements, as well as compressed air quality<br />
measurements according to ISO standards are also part of his tasks. In addition to the specialist lectures on compressed air technology held<br />
over the years, he is participating in the development of the KAESER blended learning concept with the design of e-learning courses and the implementation<br />
of online training courses.<br />
Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Johann Vetter, Head of Integrated Management Systems, NETZSCH Pumps & Systems GmbH, Waldkraiburg<br />
Johann Vetter, born in 1966, studied mechanical engineering at the Technical Colleage of Regensburg. His diploma thesis<br />
dealt with the topic “Filters and filter materials“ in Environmental and <strong>Process</strong> Engineering. Prior to his studies, Mr. Vetter had<br />
completed an apprenticeship as machine fitter and thus created a practical basis for his later activities in the automotive industry,<br />
where he worked for 16 years as a quality engineer, development engineer, project manager and department manager<br />
for airbag systems. Mr. Vetter has shown outstanding achievements in the field of “gas generators“, where he has applied for<br />
several patents. Since 2013, Mr. Vetter has been responsible for special projects mainly for the oil and gas industry at NETZSCH<br />
Pumps & Systems, where he took over the position of Quality Manager after 3 years. Since October 2019 he has been responsible<br />
for the areas of integrated management systems and is also a member of the Management Board of NETZSCH Pumps & Systems.<br />
Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Sebastian Oberbeck, Manager Research & Development Backing Pumps, Pfeiffer Vacuum GmbH, Asslar<br />
Sebastian Oberbeck, born 1970, graduated at the University of Applied Sciences Mittelhessen in engineering and precision<br />
mechanics. His career startet as project engineer and later as project manager at the Fraunhofer Institute for Microsystems<br />
in Mainz developing mainly micro pumps, micro valves and microsystems (MEMS) in publically funded as well as in industry<br />
sponsored projects. From 1998 he was responsible for nano technically manufactured Pointprobe AFM sensors at Nanosensors<br />
GmbH in Wetzlar. In 1999 he became founding member and partner of the startup company CPC Cellular Chemistry<br />
Systems GmbH where he was responsible for developing micro chemical reaction systems in Laboratory and Pilot plant applications<br />
in the chemical and pharmaceutical industry. 2004 he took the product management responsibility for automotive<br />
drive shaft components of Daimler Chrysler and Getrag at tier 1 supplier Selzer Fertigungstechnik GmbH in Driedorf. Since 2009 he is employed<br />
at Pfeiffer Vacuum GmbH as R&D Manager for backing pumps and backing pump systems.<br />
6 PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong>
HOW SAFE, CLEAN AND RELIABLE<br />
IS YOUR PROCESS AIR IN SENSITIVE<br />
AREAS REALLY?<br />
LET’S TALK<br />
Dirk Koob, Geschäftsführer AERZEN Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG<br />
+49 5154 815666 dirk.koob@aerzen.com<br />
Especially with sensitive goods, pneumatic conveying must be absolutely<br />
risk-free. This is the only way to maintain purity and quality.<br />
However, not only the contamination of the bulk material, but also<br />
contamination of the entire system would have fatal consequences.<br />
Place your trust in AERZEN blowers and compressor packages:<br />
oil-free according to ISO 8573-1 (oil-free operation class O) and<br />
extremely robust and durable. AERZEN offers you the right product<br />
for every application - three technologies, maximum reliability.<br />
www.aerzen.com
PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS<br />
Contents<br />
Title<br />
Varied requirements governing pumps for the food industry<br />
Varied and challenging: the food industry, in particular, places<br />
precise demands on pumps, as they need to comply with<br />
exacting hygiene requirements and the media can often be very<br />
challenging.<br />
Comparing the WANGEN MX, Twin NG and Vario Twin NG pump<br />
ranges shows that progressing cavity pumps and twin screw<br />
pumps are ideally suited for different applications and for<br />
pumping a wide variety of media.<br />
You can read more about the wide range of applications for<br />
WANGEN pumps for different kind of media starting out on<br />
page 30.<br />
Contents<br />
Editorial<br />
Hydrogen in the atmosphere 5<br />
Leading article<br />
Hydrogen structure coupling with LOHC as storage medium 10<br />
Energy/Energy efficiency<br />
Optimise system efficiency with pumps and smart solutions 14<br />
Leak testing in fuel cell production 18<br />
Compact multi-gas analyser makes laboratory spectroscopy<br />
useable in industry 22<br />
Producing carbon-neutral e-kerosene with the help of a<br />
CO 2<br />
compressor 26<br />
New Magazine „Green Efficient Technologies" 28<br />
Cover story<br />
Varied requirements governing pumps for the food industry 30<br />
Pumps and Systems<br />
Intelligent pump control via app<br />
Increasing safety and efficiency 32<br />
Energy-saving conveying technology<br />
Invaluable for tasty liquid gold 34<br />
Leak testing on progressing cavity pumps<br />
New process developed for safe and reliable leak testing<br />
on progressing cavity pumps using compressed air 38<br />
Vacuum technology<br />
Report – Screw vacuum pump<br />
Pre-cooling lettuces reliably, thanks to cutting-edge<br />
vacuum technology 52<br />
Companies – Innovations – Products<br />
Pumps/Vacuum technology 54<br />
Index of Advertisers 69<br />
Impressum 69<br />
Trade fairs and events<br />
IVS – Industrial Valve Summit 70<br />
IFAT 72<br />
Pumps & Valves Dortmund 74<br />
ACHEMA 76<br />
Valve World Expo 78<br />
Compressors und Systems<br />
From the research<br />
Energetic profile optimisation of twin-screw compressors 80<br />
Test air supply system for energy research<br />
Research into energy system transformation 88<br />
Biomethane as a fuel<br />
Using biomethane as a fuel –<br />
making climate protection economical! 92<br />
Compressed air technology<br />
Container stations<br />
Compressed air from a container 96<br />
<strong>Components</strong><br />
Novel valve technology<br />
Novel valve technology for oscillating displacement pumps 100<br />
Innovative double-seat valve<br />
Next level safety: How products and processes<br />
get safer with innovative valve technology 102<br />
Seals<br />
The very highest levels of precision, even with large diameters 106<br />
Approval of gaskets for our drinking water –<br />
despite the transitional regulation, haste is required 110<br />
Report – Drive technology<br />
Six drives on one controller 114<br />
Companies – Innovations – Products<br />
Compressors/Compressed air/<strong>Components</strong> 117<br />
Technical Data Purchasing 123<br />
Diaphragm metering pumps<br />
Reduce manufacturing costs by 40 %: Pump design using<br />
the example of the ecosmart LCC and LCD units 42<br />
Report – Sine pump<br />
Pump makes transporting high-viscosity<br />
3D printing materials easy 46<br />
Report – Double diaphragm pump<br />
An optimal surface result 50<br />
8<br />
PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong>
Your powerful partner<br />
for demanding media:<br />
PERIPRO peristaltic pump<br />
Containing solids, viscous, abrasive -<br />
PERIPRO proves endurance and reliability<br />
Large flow rate at high pressure<br />
Enormous operating life due<br />
to wear-resistant hose<br />
No valves or mechanical seals<br />
Low lubricant requirement<br />
Insensitive to dry running<br />
Different variants for environmental<br />
industry, chemical, mining and food<br />
production<br />
NETZSCH Pumps & Systems<br />
Geretsrieder Str.1, D - 84478 Waldkraiburg<br />
Tel.: +49 8638 63 0<br />
info.nps@netzsch.com<br />
www.pumpen.netzsch.com
Leading article<br />
Hydrogen structure coupling with LOHC<br />
as storage medium<br />
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Eberhard Schlücker<br />
If a country wants to go into the<br />
future with hydrogen and thus secure<br />
the energy supply, synergetic<br />
solutions are required that raise the<br />
overall efficiency of hydrogen use to<br />
a maximum level. While in last year’s<br />
edition of the <strong>PuK</strong> the example of a<br />
sewage treatment plant as an energy<br />
centre showed a complete synergetic<br />
approach for decentralised structures,<br />
we are now listing other examples<br />
on a small to large scale, which<br />
can be exemplary for centralised<br />
but also decentralized structures.<br />
fits in with the heating oil infrastructure.<br />
This property allows us to think<br />
freely.<br />
Example residential buildings<br />
If someone has PV of sufficient size (10<br />
KWp is already sufficient in summer<br />
in Germany. In more southern countries<br />
the energy yield is even greater<br />
and less is enough) on his house roof<br />
and has the usual 10–14 KWh per day<br />
consumption and one can assume 8<br />
hours of sun (sunny day), then the<br />
ficiency in energy matters. However,<br />
if you want to produce and store hydrogen<br />
at home, you need an electrolytic<br />
cell and a hydrogenation system.<br />
There will be so little hydrogen<br />
between these two components that<br />
there will be no danger, and absolutely<br />
airtight components would be used<br />
for this purpose. The waste heat from<br />
the two components can be used<br />
for hot water, cooking (new form of<br />
cooking with steam), etc. in the summer.<br />
In the transitional periods, the<br />
heating is added. If this house now<br />
District heating<br />
of the<br />
companies from<br />
local data centre<br />
Waste wood,<br />
sewage sludge,<br />
residues<br />
Exhaust gas<br />
CO 2<br />
H 2<br />
Reactor<br />
Methane<br />
Water<br />
Tank H 2<br />
gas<br />
Elektrolysis<br />
Electric current<br />
O 2<br />
Q<br />
H 2<br />
Q<br />
Oven<br />
Steam<br />
Q<br />
Salt storage<br />
with integrated<br />
reactor<br />
Q<br />
Catering company<br />
Hydrogenation reactor<br />
LOHC<br />
Steam<br />
H 2<br />
LOHC<br />
H 2<br />
H 2<br />
Petrol station<br />
Tank LOHC<br />
Fuel cell<br />
Petrol station<br />
Water for<br />
electrolysis<br />
Electricity<br />
Energy logistics centre flow diagram. Red areas: products; red arrows: hot streams, gas, steam, hydrogen; yellow:<br />
LOHC area; green: power generation.<br />
The prerequisites for these considerations<br />
are that the LOHC based on<br />
dibenzenetoluene or benzyltoluene<br />
is absolutely non-flammable even<br />
when charged with hydrogen and<br />
can therefore be transported by anyone,<br />
for example in buckets or plastic<br />
canisters, but can also be pumped<br />
without any problems. It is therefore<br />
easy to use even for laypersons and<br />
private electric car can be charged<br />
additionally and still energy would be<br />
left, which one could save for the winter<br />
instead of feeding it into the grid<br />
for a fraction of the cost, which one<br />
pays for electricity oneself.<br />
Since energy prices are expected<br />
to continue to rise, the population will<br />
certainly strive to develop a certain<br />
degree of independence and self-sufhas<br />
an SOFC fuel cell that can also<br />
be used as an electrolysis cell (twoway<br />
operation), then the waste heat<br />
from the SOFC fuel cell (waste heat<br />
temperature approx. 800 °C) could<br />
be sufficient for dehydrogenating the<br />
hydrogen from the LOHC, which is<br />
then converted into electricity in the<br />
SOFC to supply the house. The heating<br />
energy for the residential building<br />
10<br />
PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong>
Leading article<br />
would be included here (note: such a<br />
fuel cell is currently being developed<br />
(patented)). This means that a residential<br />
building could be self-sufficiently<br />
supplied all year round. As far<br />
as is known, this SOFC is being developed<br />
for four houses at once or for<br />
multi-family houses.<br />
Other models are also conceivable<br />
that combine several houses<br />
into energy units or cooperate with<br />
small businesses. In addition, however,<br />
homeowners could install<br />
even more PV on their house roof<br />
and thus become energy suppliers<br />
who could also supply LOHC or the<br />
centres or also produce electricity<br />
at home and feed it into the grid in<br />
times of shortage.<br />
Urban areas – energy logistic<br />
centres<br />
Cities and industrial areas don’t have<br />
it that easy. Of course you are supplied<br />
by energy suppliers (e. g. in Germany<br />
also by imports), but you can<br />
also produce a lot of energy yourself<br />
using PV. In this way, all roofs, but<br />
also parking lots, can be covered with<br />
PV. But if you pursue synergetic approaches,<br />
then even more is possible.<br />
A project that is currently being<br />
worked on in the preliminary planning<br />
is an energy logistics centre (Fig.<br />
1). This is to be built in the centre of<br />
an industrial area. About 1 square<br />
kilo metre industrial roof area is available<br />
there to be covered with PV.<br />
There is also a parking area of about<br />
0.5 km 2 that could have a roof put<br />
over it which could be also covered<br />
with PV. There is also a large data<br />
centre that produces a lot of waste<br />
heat and therefore has a high power<br />
requirement. Since a large proportion<br />
of the industrial buildings are<br />
warehouses and, with the exception<br />
of the data centre, there is no highperformance<br />
industry, the electricity<br />
that can be generated with PV should<br />
be almost sufficient. A nearby wind<br />
power plant can fill the gap that still<br />
exists, or small wind power plants can<br />
be retrofitted on the high company<br />
roofs. However, a storage concept is<br />
necessary for a certain self-sufficient<br />
supply throughout the year in order<br />
to be able to shift the excess electricity<br />
from day to night, from sunny days<br />
to rainy days and also from summer<br />
to winter.<br />
A catering company that supplies<br />
ready-to-eat meals is located in the vicinity<br />
of the building site for the energy<br />
logistics centre. On the other side<br />
is a bus company that is converting to<br />
hydrogen propulsion technology. The<br />
catering company cooks with steam.<br />
So the logistics centre is equipped<br />
with electrolysis cells and the hydrogen<br />
is stored in LOHC. The waste heat<br />
from the reactors and cells is used to<br />
generate steam and is used to supply<br />
the neighbouring company. Since<br />
cooking is preferred during the day,<br />
the required power density is limited<br />
to around 10 hours. Nevertheless,<br />
this heat is still not enough. Therefore,<br />
an additional natural material<br />
incineration plant for waste wood<br />
or sewage sludge is being built on<br />
this site, which works with pure oxygen<br />
from the electrolysis cell. Pure<br />
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oxygen has the advantage that the<br />
combustion temperatures are higher<br />
because the proportion of nitrogen<br />
in the air (79%) does not have to<br />
be heated. Thus, the efficiency is also<br />
significantly better. Enough steam is<br />
generated with this incinerator. It is<br />
only operated when required and the<br />
oxygen is temporarily stored. In addition,<br />
part of the plan is to also operate<br />
the fuel cells with pure oxygen to<br />
convert the hydrogen back into electricity<br />
in times of shortage. This also<br />
ensures a significantly higher degree<br />
of efficiency here. At the centre of all<br />
thermal processes and measures is<br />
a liquid salt storage tank, which levels<br />
the different temperatures of the<br />
individual components and makes<br />
them available as needed.<br />
A hydrogen filling station is being<br />
built for the bus company next door<br />
and for other customers. The hydrogen<br />
is of course kept in LOHC and in<br />
an intermediate tank there is always<br />
enough gaseous hydrogen at low<br />
pressure to enable a tank filling. The<br />
start-up time of the dehydrogenation<br />
is so efficient that hydrogen can be<br />
supplied after a few minutes.<br />
In addition, the large-scale data<br />
centre will sell its waste heat for<br />
heating purposes. Initial calculations<br />
show that almost the entire industrial<br />
area can be heated with it. If necessary,<br />
heat pump technology can also<br />
be used here in order to be able to<br />
supply the right temperature.<br />
At the same time, this logistics<br />
centre should also be available to<br />
buy or sell energy in any form (electricity,<br />
heat, hydrogen, LOHC). Sellers<br />
of loaded LOHC can be private individuals<br />
or companies that may have<br />
equipped themselves with an SOFC<br />
electrolytic cell and reactor and can<br />
produce loaded LOHC. Hydrogen can<br />
be traded well, easily and safely via<br />
the LOHC storage medium.<br />
Increasing the output of classic<br />
power plants<br />
It is well known that classic power<br />
plants are most economical when<br />
they are operated at the optimal operating<br />
point. With increasing grid input<br />
from renewable sources, whose electricity<br />
must then also be given preference,<br />
the base-load power plant is<br />
forced to down-regulate depending<br />
on the amount of renewable electricity<br />
(fluctuating). This means inefficient<br />
operation of the power plant. One<br />
possibility is to always let the power<br />
plant work in the optimal range and<br />
to convert the excess electricity into<br />
hydrogen and store it in LOHC.<br />
When needed, more power would<br />
then be available than from the power<br />
plant alone. A concrete estimate<br />
for a real power plant delivered about<br />
70% more power. It is also known<br />
that such power plants have large<br />
waste heat flows. With a few thermal<br />
and plant engineering measures, this<br />
waste heat could be used with only a<br />
small loss of efficiency to release the<br />
hydrogen from the LOHC and convert<br />
it into electricity. In this way, increasing<br />
the energy supply capability of the<br />
power plant would be relatively easy<br />
and efficient to implement. Buying<br />
additional electricity when needed, if<br />
available cheaply, is an additional option.<br />
This could even become a business<br />
model: to generate even more<br />
electricity when needed and sell it at<br />
a higher price. At the same time, however,<br />
other inefficient power plants<br />
could also be shut down without producing<br />
an energy shortage (decrease<br />
of overall carbon-dioxide output).<br />
In addition, it is also possible to<br />
set up the electrolytic cell and the<br />
reactor where the waste heat from<br />
these two components is needed. Or<br />
you can store the heat in salt storage<br />
and transport it to where it is needed.<br />
Chemical company with large heat<br />
requirements<br />
A chemical company needs appropriate<br />
heat sources for its high-temperature<br />
processes. There is one system<br />
that works at around 300 °C and another<br />
that works at around 500 °C.<br />
The concept now calls for PV to be installed<br />
on all roofs with a preferred<br />
southern exposure and a small wind<br />
turbine on the company’s high-rise<br />
building. The electricity generated in<br />
this way is converted into hydrogen,<br />
oxygen and heat in an electrolytic<br />
cell (SOFC). In addition, the hydrogen<br />
is stored in LOHC, which generates<br />
waste heat of up to 340 °C. This waste<br />
heat is used for the 300 °C range. The<br />
waste heat from the SOFC is pumped<br />
into the 500 °C system and at the<br />
same time waste wood is burned<br />
with the oxygen and the 500 °C system<br />
is supported. The stored hydrogen<br />
is used to refuel the delivering<br />
haulage vehicles or for reconversion<br />
and grid feeding or also sold as an energy<br />
source.<br />
These synergetic project approaches<br />
show how energetic optimisation<br />
can take place and at the same<br />
time maximum efficiency for hydrogen<br />
production can be achieved.<br />
The Author:<br />
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Eberhard Schlücker,<br />
Friedrich-Alexander-Universität<br />
Erlangen-Nuremberg, Institute of<br />
<strong>Process</strong> Machinery and Systems,<br />
Engineering (IPAT), Erlangen,<br />
Germany<br />
12<br />
PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong>
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Energy/Energy efficiency<br />
Optimise system efficiency with pumps<br />
and smart solutions<br />
Operational excellence with smart secondary process pumps<br />
Anna Hofmann<br />
Rising material, energy and logistics<br />
costs as well as material shortages<br />
are posing new challenges for<br />
more and more industries. As a result<br />
they are having to find ways of<br />
making their processes both more<br />
flexible and more efficient. Fortunately,<br />
there are tried-and-tested<br />
solutions available on the market.<br />
Energy efficiency has become a major<br />
area of innovation for reducing costs<br />
and emissions in the context of the energy<br />
revolution. Optimising processes<br />
and systems, heat recovery, solar process<br />
heating, etc. can reduce energy<br />
consumption by more than 10 % [1].<br />
The pumps used are a good place<br />
to start. It is important to distinguish<br />
here between process and auxiliary<br />
pumps: in every production plant<br />
there are ‘primary processes’ (where<br />
the product – whether it be drinks or<br />
chemicals – is in direct contact with<br />
the process pump) as well as ‘secondary<br />
processes’. The latter might<br />
sound slightly less important. But<br />
they’re not: these are pumps and systems<br />
for water recovery as well as for<br />
wastewater removal and circuits for<br />
heating (maintaining temperature),<br />
cooling (supplying ice and cooling water)<br />
and cleaning (CIP, SIP) as well as<br />
for dosing.<br />
Grundfos has a range of secondary<br />
process pumps which is second to<br />
none in its breadth (diversity of design)<br />
and depth (material varieties,<br />
power levels). Planners can achieve<br />
surprisingly sophisticated system<br />
optimisations by intelligently combining<br />
speed-controlled pumps,<br />
power ful sensors and smart control<br />
algorithms.<br />
A classic auxiliary process is the<br />
supply of steam. Central steam boilers<br />
are typically used for this. The high<br />
pressures and temperatures make<br />
feeding the boiler one of the most<br />
demanding tasks for pumps. The numerous<br />
on/off switching cycles cause<br />
additional stress for feed pumps.<br />
Conventional boiler feed systems<br />
have a control valve, a bypass – and<br />
usually oversized pumps. The pump<br />
manufacturer has developed a boiler<br />
feed system that does not require<br />
a feed valve because a speed-controlled<br />
pump regulates the feed itself<br />
by way of a 4-20 mA level sensor fitted<br />
to the boiler. Because of the reduction<br />
in components – valves, bypass<br />
lines, mixing loops to limit flow<br />
– the operator benefits from lower<br />
investment, installation, energy and<br />
maintenance costs.<br />
Besides steam, cooling is traditionally<br />
required. Here, too, the system’s<br />
energy efficiency can be optimised<br />
using speed-controlled pumps.<br />
A smaller main circulator pump in<br />
combination with a small pump for<br />
each cooling unit can be installed in<br />
place of control valves. The main circulator<br />
pump should be set to constant<br />
pressure and the circulator<br />
pumps in the individual cooling units<br />
to constant temperature. The advantage<br />
is that the speed-controlled<br />
pump can react faster and more<br />
smoothly than a motor-operated<br />
valve. Dispensing with throttle valves<br />
reduces pressure losses and saves<br />
energy and money.<br />
FC-controlled and intelligent<br />
The speed of the pump is controlled<br />
by frequency converter (FC) and it<br />
should ideally also be able to smartly<br />
carry out specific functionalities.<br />
Here’s an example of why from the<br />
beverage industry: membrane separation<br />
technology is state of the art in<br />
beverage production, for example for<br />
treating mineral well water and for<br />
fine filtration. It involves passing the<br />
medium to be filtered along a semipermeable<br />
membrane under pressure.<br />
Speed-controlled pumps not<br />
only keep the filtration speed constant,<br />
they also record the pressure<br />
difference in the event of increasing<br />
filter resistance caused by a blockage<br />
and thus ensure a constant volume<br />
flow rate. If a constant produc-<br />
Pumps in secondary processes<br />
Fig. 1: Boiler feed with speed-controlled pumps and no feed valve.<br />
14 PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong>
Energy/Energy efficiency<br />
Fig. 2: Reverse osmosis plants play an important role in water reuse.<br />
but experience shows that the pump<br />
installation itself is rarely adapted accordingly.<br />
How can the operator check the<br />
actual state of the installed pumps?<br />
An energy check by the pump supplier<br />
in accordance with ISO 14414<br />
on the energy rating of the pump systems<br />
(the result has a calculated accuracy<br />
of +/- 10 %) can show what the<br />
targeted use of high-efficiency pumps<br />
can actually achieve. The operator will<br />
discover in a surprisingly simple way<br />
(by comparing the performance data<br />
of the existing pumps with state-ofthe-art<br />
high-efficiency pumps) how to<br />
reduce operation costs (energy, water)<br />
while also cutting CO 2<br />
emissions.<br />
tive capacity is required, a flow meter<br />
delivers the current actual value and<br />
the pump corrects the rising back<br />
pressure by increasing the speed. In<br />
addition, changes in state at the suction<br />
end of the pump can be corrected,<br />
for example when converting to<br />
tanks with varying inlet heights.<br />
With the iSOLUTIONS concept,<br />
the supplier offers the right solution<br />
for such requirements. These<br />
are a combination of in-house and<br />
manufactured components ranging<br />
from hydraulics, drive solutions, sensors,<br />
control and security modules<br />
to measuring and communications<br />
units and a smart analogue digital hybrid<br />
system which adjusts to the requirements<br />
of various applications.<br />
Energy check and pump audit<br />
As long as technology works, its efficiency<br />
is rarely questioned – often<br />
because it is very difficult to record<br />
the energy consumption of each machine.<br />
The result is a bottomless pit<br />
Fig. 3: The Energy Check is a pump survey by the customer or a member of the pump<br />
supplier’s staff with subsequent analysis/calculation by the supplier.<br />
for the operator, but nobody knows<br />
that unless they properly look into it.<br />
Moreover, plants change over time as<br />
a result of production conversions,<br />
For complex plants and cases with<br />
significant savings potential, the company<br />
recommends a more in-depth<br />
survey in the form of a pump audit<br />
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Energy/Energy efficiency<br />
whereby the actual load profile of the<br />
pumps is calculated by way of specially<br />
developed measuring techniques.<br />
This means that the size of the pump<br />
can be determined exactly based on<br />
requirements and can uncover additional<br />
savings potentials.<br />
‘Machine Health’: A glimpse into the<br />
near future<br />
Making processes more efficient<br />
involves looking at the machine’s<br />
health and reducing downtime. This<br />
is where one of the greatest promises<br />
of digital transformation comes<br />
in: generating smart data from big<br />
data through analysis and pattern<br />
recognition. When it comes to maintenance,<br />
one very successful way of<br />
doing this is by recording the relevant<br />
data (temperatures, pressures,<br />
volume flow rates) over a long period<br />
of time and analysing them (trends,<br />
discrepancies). The fact that sensors<br />
are becoming increasingly efficient<br />
while dropping significantly in price<br />
supports this. Data mining then attempts<br />
to identify hidden patterns,<br />
trends and relationships in large volumes<br />
of data using sophisticated statistical<br />
and mathematical methods or<br />
algorithms.<br />
Fig. 4: This sensor provides the data for the ‘Machine Health’ solution, whereby the machine<br />
health is calculated and a diagnostic analysis is compiled.<br />
The company's ‘Machine Health’ concept<br />
is based on one of the world’s<br />
largest databases of typical machine<br />
noise, or vibration profiles, which enables<br />
extremely precise diagnostics.<br />
Moreover, machine data is translated<br />
into recommendations for action<br />
– thanks to real-time messages and<br />
algorithms that suggest suitable repairs<br />
and maintenance measures. The<br />
result is compelling: in practice the<br />
maintenance and repair costs are lower,<br />
and the operator can expect longer<br />
uptime thanks to far fewer outages.<br />
Reference<br />
[1] Beverage industry monitor, 2020,<br />
Hans Böckler Foundation<br />
The Author: Anna Hofmann,<br />
Senior Sales Developer, Digital – DACH,<br />
Industry Division, Grundfos GmbH,<br />
Erkrath. Germany<br />
16 PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong>
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Energy/Energy efficiency<br />
Leak testing in fuel cell production<br />
Dr. Rudolf Konwitschny<br />
Leak tightness is a key quality and<br />
safety criterion for many components<br />
in fuel cell production. This<br />
applies to individual media-carrying<br />
anode, cathode and coolant channels<br />
of a bipolar plate and fuel cell<br />
stacks as well as components of the<br />
complete system assembly.<br />
Fuel cell - market of the future<br />
The hydrogen economy is gaining<br />
momentum. In December 2021, the<br />
European Union created a framework<br />
for a simplified transition to a<br />
sustainable and decarbonized gas<br />
economy with the “Hydrogen and decarbonised<br />
gas market package”. This<br />
package of measures has already<br />
been described as the entry into a<br />
“golden age of hydrogen”. At the national<br />
level, the German government<br />
has already drawn a positive conclusion<br />
one year after the launch of the<br />
National Hydrogen Strategy in June<br />
2020. In December 2021, the newly<br />
elected federal government allocated<br />
further funds in a supplementary<br />
budget for the transformation to a<br />
climate-neutral economy. These programs<br />
to expand the production, fullcoverage<br />
distribution and extensive<br />
use of hydrogen are now being implemented<br />
in a large number of projects.<br />
The focus of hydrogen use is the<br />
fuel cell – both in stationary applications<br />
and in mobility.<br />
In stationary applications, fuel<br />
cells are often used for combined<br />
heat and power generation in singleand<br />
multi-family homes. In addition,<br />
they can be used as backup power<br />
systems or emergency power supplies<br />
for important infrastructures.<br />
These include hospitals, civil protection<br />
organizations, fire departments,<br />
telecommunications and traffic control<br />
systems. A massive savings potential<br />
for CO 2<br />
emissions is seen in<br />
the steel industry by replacing carbon<br />
as a reducing agent with hydrogen.<br />
Fuel cells for forklift trucks have<br />
already established themselves in<br />
the logistics industry. According to a<br />
study by the Association of German<br />
Machinery and Equipment Constructors<br />
(VDMA), the market share of fuel<br />
cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) in road<br />
transport will increase to up to six<br />
percent in 2030 and to 12 % by 2040.<br />
This corresponds to a production volume<br />
of ten million vehicles per year.<br />
By 2036, battery-electric passenger<br />
cars and FCEVs are expected to be<br />
priced equally.<br />
In focus: leak tightness<br />
With the demand for fuel cells, the<br />
production capacities for their components<br />
such as bipolar plates will<br />
also grow. We are currently experiencing<br />
the upscaling of many production<br />
lines from demonstration operations<br />
with a few thousand or tens of<br />
thousands of bipolar plates per year<br />
to an industrial level with production<br />
figures in the millions per year. This<br />
is accompanied by a growing need<br />
for high-performance measurement<br />
technology for the tightness of manufactured<br />
components and complete<br />
systems. One of the reasons is safety<br />
motivated. The formation of an ignitable<br />
mixture in the environment of<br />
the fuel cell has to be avoided.<br />
“IEC 62282-2-100 Fuel cell technologies<br />
- Part 2-100: Fuel cell modules<br />
– Safety” describes gas leakage<br />
tests for both type and routine<br />
tests. For type tests, environmental<br />
conditions (e. g. temperature and<br />
test pressure) are defined and initial<br />
and repeat tests are described. Flow<br />
measurement methods and the pressure<br />
decay method are mentioned<br />
as test methods. The standard does<br />
not give any indication of practical<br />
limit values of the gas tightness test.<br />
The only numerical value mentioned<br />
in the standard is found in the paragraph<br />
on gas leakage repeat tests.<br />
Here, a maximum deviation from the<br />
originally stated value of 5 cm 3 /min<br />
is permitted. Although the standard<br />
speaks of a deviation from the original<br />
result, this value is often used as<br />
the basis for a specification of fuel cell<br />
stacks.<br />
In the case of routine tests, the<br />
above standard mentions tests with a<br />
leak detection fluid, but does not provide<br />
any information on limit leakage<br />
rates or test times. In “EN 1593 Nondestructive<br />
testing – Bubble emission<br />
techniques”, a sufficiently long<br />
test time is required after the application<br />
of a liquid film. In tabular form,<br />
the detection limit of the method is<br />
given as 10 -5 mbar l/s. However, this<br />
detection limit is accompanied by<br />
a test time of several minutes. For<br />
this reason, the detection limit of a<br />
bubble test is specified in “DIN EN<br />
1779 Non-destructive testing – Leak<br />
testing – Criteria for method and<br />
technique selection” as 10 -3 mbar<br />
l/s in the context of a test time during<br />
production. However, the test<br />
with a leak detection fluid is always<br />
a purely localizing and, in addition,<br />
test personnel- dependent test. Together<br />
with the ne cessary cleaning<br />
of the component, a bubble test thus<br />
does not meet the requirements for a<br />
production- accompanying, deterministic,<br />
quantitative and integral test<br />
method.<br />
These requirements are met by<br />
flow and pressure change methods.<br />
In IEC 62282-2-100, the calculation of<br />
the leakage rate for smaller stacks according<br />
to the ratio of the number of<br />
cells is explicitly anchored. In practice,<br />
these statements are often used as a<br />
basis for calculating the specification<br />
of a single bipolar plate. This reduces<br />
the requirement for the maximum<br />
allowed leakage rate to values below<br />
10 -3 mbar l/s and thus below the detection<br />
limit of air-based leakage test<br />
methods. Even if the available sensor<br />
technology would be capable of such<br />
detection limits, the requirements for<br />
volume and temperature constancy<br />
during the measurement make a series<br />
application of a flow and pressure<br />
change method for testing individual<br />
bipolar plates difficult.<br />
18 PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong>
Energy/Energy efficiency<br />
With these requirements, the<br />
way into the world of tracer<br />
gas test methods is mandatory,<br />
although these methods are<br />
not explicitly mentioned in IEC<br />
62282-2-100. Tests according to<br />
the pressure technique by accumulation<br />
or the test of enclosed<br />
objects in vacuum offer<br />
themselves as quantitative, integral<br />
methods. These procedure<br />
terms according to DIN EN<br />
1779 are also known as accumulation<br />
test, sniffing envelope test<br />
or vacuum test. In these procedures,<br />
the test gas escaping from<br />
a leak in the component is collected<br />
in test chambers that are<br />
either under atmospheric conditions<br />
or under vacuum. In atmospheric<br />
conditions, the test time is<br />
determined, among other things,<br />
by the free internal volume of the<br />
chamber. This method is usually<br />
significantly slower than vacuum<br />
testing for the same detection<br />
limit. The domain of vacuum testing<br />
is rapid testing of individual<br />
bipolar plates at lowest detection<br />
limits down to 10 -3 mbar l/s or<br />
even lower. Accumulation testing<br />
at atmospheric conditions in the<br />
test chamber is mostly used for<br />
fuel cell stacks. After the quantitative<br />
integral test, if the test result<br />
is negative, a localizing sniffing<br />
test can be performed as a<br />
second step to locate the leakage<br />
and support repair or initiate corrective<br />
actions in production.<br />
An evaluation of the individual<br />
test methods is given in Table 1.<br />
In addition to the above criteria,<br />
the user must clearly define<br />
the objective of the test. In<br />
the rapidly developing market<br />
maturity of products, no industry<br />
standard has yet emerged.<br />
Thus, in addition to the detection<br />
limit, the scope of testing has<br />
not yet been clearly defined.<br />
Safety-driven approaches call<br />
for testing all potential leakage<br />
flows individually (red arrows)<br />
and integrally from the inside<br />
out (brown arrows), as shown<br />
in figure 1. Production-driven,<br />
Table 1: Comparison of integral, quantitative test methods for leak testing of fuel cell stacks and bipolar plates.<br />
Parameter Pressure decay Flow Accumulation Vacuum test<br />
Integral Yes Yes Yes Yes<br />
Quantitative Yes Yes Yes Yes<br />
Tracer gas Air Air Helium, Forming<br />
gas<br />
Calibratable Yes Yes Yes Yes<br />
Barrier to introduction<br />
Helium<br />
Low Low Medium High<br />
Automation Yes Yes Yes Yes<br />
Data storage and<br />
analysis<br />
Detection limit<br />
Influence temperature<br />
change<br />
Influence volume<br />
change<br />
Yes Yes Yes Yes<br />
Functional for<br />
stacks<br />
Fig. 1: Possible tests on a bipolar plate<br />
cycle- time-oriented<br />
Functional for<br />
stacks<br />
Functional for<br />
stacks with<br />
margin<br />
High Medium to high No No<br />
High Medium to high No No<br />
approaches<br />
often dispense with multiple<br />
tests, but at least with the test of<br />
media-carrying spaces in both directions.<br />
The thickness of the arrows<br />
is an indication of the maximum<br />
permitted leakage rate in an exemplary<br />
industrial test recipe.<br />
Contrary to popular belief, it is<br />
not the safety-relevant ingress<br />
of hydrogen into the oxidizer circuit<br />
that is the zone of the most<br />
stringent leak specification. The<br />
highest requirements are placed<br />
on leaks in the coolant circuit. A<br />
coolant leak would result in at<br />
least reduced efficiency of the<br />
fuel cell stack, and in extreme<br />
cases damage due to overheating.<br />
Gas bubbles in the coolant<br />
would also have negative effects<br />
on the temperature management<br />
of the stack and could also<br />
lead to corrosion of other components<br />
in the circuit.<br />
In the development of test<br />
methods and sequences, laboratory<br />
systems are used in which<br />
interchangeable plates allow adaptation<br />
to special geo metries<br />
Functional for<br />
stacks and BPP<br />
with margin<br />
of bipolar plates. An example is<br />
shown in figure 2.<br />
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The test chamber and the<br />
gas supply are designed for a<br />
maximum test pressure to be<br />
defined, usually in the singledigit<br />
bar range. The tracer gas<br />
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Energy/Energy efficiency<br />
Choosing the right test method<br />
Fig. 2: Test chamber for a bipolar plate<br />
Fig. 3: Test equipment for bipolar plates and stacks<br />
Laboratory testing provides important<br />
information for the development<br />
of industrial series testing.<br />
This applies both to the influences<br />
of the test object, flow resistances<br />
(conductance) or memory effects,<br />
and to the performance of the measurement<br />
technology used with very<br />
short cycle times.<br />
The spectrum of potential leak<br />
test technologies range from test<br />
methods using air as the test gas<br />
(pressure decay measurement and<br />
micro-flow) to highly sensitive and<br />
automated high-speed methods<br />
such as helium leak detection. Classical<br />
modeling of pumping and filling<br />
times often fail at very short cycle<br />
times. Therefore, laboratory tests or<br />
feasibility studies with direct comparison<br />
of the alternative measurement<br />
techniques are the optimal way<br />
to a production-accompanying test<br />
with the required short cycle times in<br />
large-scale production.<br />
supply can be implemented with one<br />
or more different test gases (e. g.<br />
helium and forming gas 95/5), compressed<br />
air and purge gases, and can<br />
include further measurement and<br />
control functions. The measurement<br />
technology can also be designed<br />
flexibly and, in addition to safety<br />
functions, include different detectors<br />
such as the mass spectrometric<br />
leak detectors shown in figure 3 or<br />
micro flow meters.<br />
The Author: Dr. Rudolf Konwitschny,<br />
Market Segment Industry,<br />
Leak Detection Application Team,<br />
Pfeiffer Vacuum GmbH,<br />
Asslar, Germany<br />
20 PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong>
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Energy/Energy efficiency<br />
Simultaneous detection of a wide range of gases for hydrogen<br />
and natural gas suppliers<br />
Compact multi-gas analyser makes laboratory<br />
spectroscopy useable in industry<br />
Dr Alexander Stratmann<br />
A new gas analyser, the Optical Gas<br />
Spectrometer (OGS), immediately<br />
detects almost all relevant gases<br />
with which hydrogen may be<br />
contaminated in a single measurement<br />
process. Bosch developers<br />
have succeeded in transferring the<br />
capacity and performance of conventional<br />
laboratory spectroscopic<br />
equipment into a device the size of a<br />
shoebox. There is already an operational<br />
mobile OGS device, and it is<br />
currently being tested. The developers<br />
are currently looking for further<br />
development partners and beta testers<br />
for their pre-production device.<br />
This is because the industrialisation<br />
of optical spectroscopy makes it relatively<br />
easy to measure the concentration<br />
of a wide variety of gases simultaneously.<br />
This opens up the most<br />
diverse fields of application: from the<br />
hydrogen economy to natural gas<br />
supply and the chemical industry.<br />
Fig. 1: The new multi-gas analyser is suited<br />
for field use. (Photo © : Bosch)<br />
sent if it is to be used as a fuel, and<br />
lay down corresponding purity requirements.<br />
Until now, most detection<br />
methods required you to select<br />
them based on the specific gas you<br />
wanted to test for. The new gas detection<br />
method which is being tested<br />
in practice does not have this limitation.<br />
It detects hydrogen sulphide<br />
(H 2<br />
S) and sulphur dioxide (SO 2<br />
) as<br />
well as various other gases, for example<br />
H 2<br />
, O 2<br />
, N 2<br />
and NO 2<br />
, CO and CO 2<br />
,<br />
CH 4<br />
and H 2<br />
O. The technology makes<br />
it easy to identify hydrocarbons such<br />
as alcohols and aromatics. The major<br />
advantage of the new device is that it<br />
determines the exact concentration<br />
of all these gases simultaneously.<br />
Laboratory spectroscopy<br />
becomes handy<br />
The starting point for the development<br />
of the new multi-gas analyser was the<br />
search for a method to identify nitrogen<br />
leaks. As N 2<br />
cannot be measured<br />
using other methods, the Stuttgart-based<br />
supplier set out to scale<br />
down the spectroscopic measurement<br />
method, which had previously<br />
only been used in facilities in chemical<br />
laboratories that were several cubic<br />
metres in size and cost several<br />
hundred thousand euros, to the size<br />
of conventional 19-inch racks. In the<br />
process, the company succeeded in<br />
condensing a laboratory set-up developed<br />
over many years into a handy<br />
measuring system. This, among other<br />
things, was made pos sible by new<br />
semiconductor technology used in<br />
the OGS. To the developers' delight,<br />
however, the new device was not just<br />
suitable for detecting nitrogen; almost<br />
any other gases – with the exception<br />
of noble gases – can also be<br />
detected using this method.<br />
New semiconductor technology<br />
brings breakthrough<br />
Although the spectroscopic measurement<br />
method only has a low sensitivity<br />
by nature, the developers have<br />
succeeded in bringing the sensitivity<br />
to a practical level thanks to a special<br />
device design and through the new<br />
semiconductor technology. The current<br />
prototype measures concentrations<br />
in the ppm range within a few<br />
seconds. If the measurement duration<br />
is extended, correspondingly<br />
lower concentrations can be detected<br />
– this applies to all measurable<br />
components simultaneously. For example,<br />
the concentration of the vast<br />
Purity requirements for<br />
hydrogen suppliers<br />
Hydrogen is playing an increasingly<br />
important role as a source of energy<br />
– whether for vehicles with fuelcell<br />
drives or for natural gas supply.<br />
The challenge in producing hydrogen,<br />
however, is to obtain it with the required<br />
purity. Standards such as DIN<br />
EN 17124 and ISO 14687 define the<br />
quality of hydrogen that must be pre-<br />
Fig. 2: The Optical Gas Spectrometer method (OGS) measures the concentration of a wide<br />
variety of gases simultaneously. (Source: Bosch)<br />
22 PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong>
majority of gases listed in DIN<br />
EN 17124 as impurities in hydrogen<br />
fuel can be determined<br />
using exactly the same online<br />
measurement process and<br />
read out via data interface as<br />
required.<br />
Uncomplicated field use<br />
The method has almost no interfering<br />
factors and also no<br />
mutual influences. The validation<br />
plan not only includes<br />
the determination of linearity<br />
and the recording of detection<br />
limits, but also investigations<br />
into the robustness of<br />
this new analytical technique.<br />
Humidity is not a problem for<br />
the meter and there is no risk<br />
of corrosion. The device is currently<br />
designed for an operating<br />
pressure of up to 10 bar,<br />
although measurements with<br />
gas pressures of up to 30 bar<br />
are also possible as an option.<br />
The temperature range for the<br />
measurement is between 10°<br />
and 40 °C. One current development<br />
goal is to make the<br />
method useable at even higher<br />
pressures and in a wider temperature<br />
range. It is also conceivable<br />
that devices for a wide<br />
range of specific application<br />
scenarios will be ready for series<br />
production in the future.<br />
Hydrogen as fuel<br />
One of these application scenarios<br />
is to determine the impurities<br />
in hydrogen for fuel<br />
cells. Due to the low limits that<br />
apply to impurities in hydrogen<br />
fuel, the analyses involve significant<br />
overhead. A mobile multigas<br />
analyser for field use promises<br />
to make things much easier<br />
in this regard. What's more the<br />
device is not just able to detect<br />
impurities, but also hydrogen<br />
itself. Bosch is currently developing<br />
the technology further<br />
as part of the publicly funded<br />
project "HyQ²Ra" specifically<br />
for high-pressure applications<br />
such as hydrogen refueling stations.<br />
The funding comes from<br />
the German Federa l Ministry<br />
of Economics and Climate Protection<br />
(BMWK), and the other<br />
project partners are Linde,<br />
RuboLab and Ruhr-University<br />
Bochum (RUB).<br />
A wide variety of application<br />
scenarios<br />
For industrialised optical spectroscopy,<br />
there are many other<br />
fields of application in which<br />
gas measurements are involved.<br />
For example, the specialty<br />
gases division produces<br />
special calibration gas mixtures<br />
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Fig. 3: Prototype of the OGS analyzer with various interfaces. (Photo © : Bosch)<br />
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Energy/Energy efficiency<br />
for exhaust gas measurements in the<br />
automotive industry with defined<br />
NO x<br />
and CO x<br />
concentrations. Here,<br />
the multi-gas analyser could help<br />
with quality assurance. In natural gas<br />
networks, the new method would be<br />
able to test the fuel value of the natural<br />
gas mixture. The compact spectroscopic<br />
devices would also be suitable<br />
for analysis of synthetic natural gas.<br />
Today it is already possible to add<br />
between 1 and 5 percent hydrogen<br />
to natural gas. In the next ten years,<br />
this concentration – of CO 2<br />
-neutral<br />
hydrogen production – could be increased<br />
to 30 percent. Even the analysis<br />
of medical gases or typically corrosive<br />
electronic gases are among the<br />
possible fields of application for the<br />
new technology. Countless analysis<br />
systems are also installed in chemical<br />
industry plants, for which the new<br />
method could offer a more efficient<br />
alternative.<br />
Development goal: even higher<br />
sensitivity<br />
Currently, the multi-gas analyser<br />
achieves a sensitivity in the ppm range<br />
with its spectroscopic measure ments.<br />
However, some gases and applications<br />
require measurement against<br />
limits thousands of times smaller. For<br />
example, the total sulphur content in<br />
hydrogen fuel may only be 4 ppb. It<br />
is not yet clear whether further development<br />
work will lead to the new<br />
method also reaching this detection<br />
limit. Even if the spectrometric part of<br />
such a device cannot identify sulphur<br />
compounds in the ppb range, the fact<br />
that numerous other gases would be<br />
measurable at the same time with<br />
such a combination device would<br />
nevertheless mean an enormous relief<br />
in many applications.<br />
A new paradigm in industrial gas<br />
metrology<br />
With the industrialisation of optical<br />
spectroscopy, the team has developed<br />
a method that promises great<br />
flexibility and robustness in field<br />
use. The new technology is still in<br />
the pre-production stage. What specific<br />
products will ultimately emerge<br />
from this still remains to be seen –<br />
the first measuring devices from series<br />
production could be available in<br />
2023. One thing is certain, however:<br />
the possible fields of application are<br />
huge. The new technology is likely to<br />
permanently change the face of industrial<br />
gas metrology.<br />
More testers wanted<br />
The developers plan to present their<br />
experiences with optical spectroscopy<br />
together at congresses as soon as<br />
they are able to take place again. The<br />
developers would also be delighted<br />
to make the pre-production version<br />
of the device available to interested<br />
third parties. After all, the whole variety<br />
of application scenarios for optical<br />
spectroscopy can only be explored<br />
if more development partners<br />
test the specific industrial application<br />
possibilities. If you are interested,<br />
please contact Franziska Seitz:<br />
Franziska.Seitz@de.bosch.com<br />
The Author: Dr Alexander Stratmann,<br />
Head of Development<br />
Robert Bosch GmbH,<br />
Stuttgart, Germany<br />
24 PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong>
Energy/Energy efficiency<br />
Making the dream of climate-neutral air travel come true<br />
Producing carbon-neutral e-kerosene with the<br />
help of a CO 2<br />
compressor<br />
The German non-profit organisation<br />
Atmosfair has opened the world's<br />
first plant for the industrial production<br />
of carbon-neutral e-kerosene.<br />
The aviation fuel is produced using<br />
renewable energies as well as CO 2<br />
and H 2<br />
. An important component<br />
of the pilot plant is Sauer Compressors'<br />
HAUG CO 2<br />
compressor. The oilfree<br />
and hermetically gas-tight machine<br />
compresses atmospheric CO 2<br />
to be used as raw material for the<br />
green kerosene.<br />
Carbon-neutral flying – the air transport<br />
industry's dream to make the<br />
business flourish again despite forthcoming<br />
restrictions regarding CO 2<br />
emissions. According to the current<br />
state of technology, this only works<br />
on a large scale with e-kerosene,<br />
which is produced from renewable<br />
electricity. The so-called Power-to-<br />
Liquid fuels (PtL), a liquid combination<br />
of electrically generated H 2<br />
and<br />
CO2, are to be added to conventional<br />
kerosene. That's how the German<br />
government envisions it according to<br />
their PtL roadmap. However, PtL is<br />
currently still considered too expensive<br />
for widespread use.<br />
The non-profit organisation Atmosfair<br />
is mainly known for offering<br />
offsets for greenhouse gases.<br />
Since 2021, the company has also<br />
been producing synthetic e-kerosene<br />
with a plant in Werlte, North Germany.<br />
The special feature of the pilot<br />
plant is that it produces the first<br />
carbon-neutral PtL kerosene ever!<br />
The founder and CEO explains: “As<br />
long as airplanes use kerosene, no<br />
matter if from fossil or renewable resources,<br />
they cause emissions. But<br />
for our production process we use<br />
CO 2<br />
either from a biogas plant or directly<br />
extracted from the air. Thus,<br />
when the CO 2<br />
eventually gets back<br />
Fig. 1: Full view of the PtL plant in Werlte, Germany. (Photo © : Atmosfair)<br />
into the atmosphere while the kerosene<br />
is burned, the carbon footprint<br />
is offset.” With a capacity of 350 tons<br />
of synthetic crude oil per year, the<br />
operation by far exceeds the bench<br />
scale. It is the first plant worldwide<br />
producing crude oil for e-kerosene<br />
approved by ASTM International for<br />
commercial aviation. The crude oil is<br />
added to fossil fuels in a refinery and<br />
distributed to several airlines with a<br />
balance sheet certificate (TÜV seal of<br />
approval).<br />
Electricity, hydrogen and CO 2<br />
as<br />
raw materials<br />
The PtL plant uses the three main raw<br />
materials electricity, H 2<br />
and CO 2<br />
. The<br />
electricity comes exclusively from renewable<br />
resources without funding<br />
from the German Renewable Energy<br />
Sources Act (EEG). The hydrogen<br />
is produced from water by electrolysis<br />
using electrical energy. A proton<br />
exchange membrane (PEM) acts as<br />
the electrolyser and electrochemically<br />
splits water into hydrogen (H 2<br />
) and<br />
oxygen (O 2<br />
).<br />
One source of the CO 2<br />
needed<br />
for the process is an on-site biogas<br />
plant. As the substrates used<br />
by the plant only contain carbon dioxide<br />
that they have previously extracted<br />
from the atmosphere during<br />
growth phase, the operation would<br />
already be climate-neutral only by re-<br />
Fig. 2: Inside the Direct Air Capture module:<br />
The compressor in front, the buffer storage<br />
for the CO 2<br />
captured from the ambient air<br />
in the back. (Fig. 2-4 Photo © :<br />
Sauer Compressors)<br />
26 PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong>
Energy/Energy efficiency<br />
leasing the CO 2<br />
. By reusing the waste<br />
CO 2<br />
, the synthetic crude oil of the<br />
PtL plant is even achieving negative<br />
CO 2<br />
emissions. The second source of<br />
CO 2<br />
is the adsorption of CO 2<br />
directly<br />
from the ambient air in the Direct<br />
Air Capture (DAC) process. An intake<br />
manifold sucks in air into a filter with<br />
a solvent that extracts the CO 2<br />
and<br />
then binds it to a solid sorbent. Heat<br />
is then applied to the sorbent to release<br />
the CO 2<br />
.<br />
Compressing the atmospheric CO 2<br />
The carbon dioxide captured via DAC<br />
is stored in a balloon-like buffer. For<br />
further processing in the synthesis<br />
unit of the plant, the gas has to<br />
be compressed to a final pressure<br />
of 4.5 barg, which is technologically<br />
challenging. The CO 2<br />
must not be<br />
contaminated, since the catalytic process<br />
requires pure gases without oil<br />
pollution that could permanently reduce<br />
or outweigh the process. Moreover,<br />
no CO 2<br />
must get lost during the<br />
compression process. The solution<br />
is a gas compressor developed by<br />
the long-established Swiss company<br />
HAUG Sauer Kompressoren AG. The<br />
compressor has already proven to<br />
meet the highest gas purity and process<br />
quality requirements in several<br />
industries and research institutes.<br />
Modular oil-free and gas-tight<br />
compressor<br />
Fig. 3: The oil-free and hermetically gastight<br />
compressor compresses the CO 2<br />
captured from the atmosphere.<br />
as well as intermittent operations,<br />
such as Atmosfair's application. Plus,<br />
it is hermetically gas-tight during operation<br />
and downtime, not allowing<br />
any CO 2<br />
leakage. The reason is<br />
the non-contact and wear-free magnetic<br />
coupling, an in-house development,<br />
which can be used in the gas<br />
compressor of the HAUG.Neptune<br />
series for suction pressures of up to<br />
14 barg. The modular concept of the<br />
compressor series allowed for an individual<br />
configuration to the requirements<br />
of the organisation. Pressure<br />
level and flow rate were therefore optimally<br />
adapted to the application via<br />
predefined cylinder modules.<br />
Synthetic crude oil for the refinery<br />
The last process step for the compressed<br />
CO 2<br />
is the synthesis. In the<br />
synthesis unit, carbon dioxide and hydrogen<br />
are converted into a syngas,<br />
which is then used to produce synthetic<br />
crude oil, the primary product<br />
for the e-kerosene. This is done with<br />
the Fischer-Tropsch process. At temperatures<br />
of 150°C to 300°C, longchain<br />
hydrocarbons are formed in<br />
the presence of metal catalysts and<br />
eventually processed into climateneutral<br />
kerosene in a refinery.<br />
Sauer Compressors, Kiel,<br />
Germany<br />
This compressor is a completely oilfree<br />
and dry-running piston compressor<br />
that can be used for continuous<br />
Fig. 4: The compressor prior to its delivery<br />
in the factory hall of the compressor manufacturer.<br />
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Energy/Energy efficiency<br />
On our own behalf<br />
New Magazine „Green Efficient Technologies“<br />
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Eberhard Schlücker<br />
The north pole pump that keeps the<br />
Gulf Stream alive is stuttering, the jet<br />
stream’s amplitude has already increased<br />
and it is wandering somewhat<br />
farther north, animate nature<br />
is suffering and resources are getting<br />
scarce. Thus we are long since in<br />
the midst of distorting global interrelations,<br />
with consequences that are<br />
not yet foreseeable. Meanwhile it is<br />
clear to just about everyone that all<br />
this is caused by our behaviour and,<br />
in particular, also by the established<br />
technologies, and that sustainable<br />
changes over the medium term are<br />
our only chance. To make matters<br />
worse, our numbers on this planet<br />
continue to increase and every human<br />
being causes entropy. On a positive<br />
note, a variety of activities can be<br />
observed in many places and a lot of<br />
technology already exists. Implementation,<br />
comprehensive concepts or<br />
simply the will of those in charge are<br />
most often lacking, but also a goaloriented<br />
focus of research and development.<br />
What we need is a green industrial<br />
revolution!<br />
Green hydrogen has become a buzzword.<br />
However, agriculture and<br />
energy- efficient production are also<br />
called green when they are sustainable.<br />
Unfortunately, far too few<br />
technological achievements are sustainable<br />
and optimised for energy<br />
efficiency today. They continue contributing<br />
to manoeuvring us into an<br />
even more critical situation that constitutes<br />
a danger to humanity as a<br />
whole. All of our technology, industry<br />
and society should – or actually<br />
must – become “green”. This applies<br />
in particular to all processes and industries<br />
that consume energy and<br />
raw materials, but also to many application<br />
products and production facilities<br />
and their sustainability. There<br />
is no doubt that this transformation<br />
is complex and should not proceed<br />
in contrary directions. Information<br />
and concepts are therefore needed.<br />
Which is exactly the reason for the<br />
new “Green Efficient Technologies”<br />
magazine. We want to accompany<br />
you on your journey to more sustainability,<br />
providing you with useful information<br />
and concept ideas along<br />
with insights into green technologies<br />
as well as efficient technological<br />
products and processes. Not least,<br />
we also want to present new ideas<br />
based on research. There is one thing<br />
we are certain of: This green industrial<br />
revolution is a great opportunity<br />
for a better world. But time is short<br />
and the changes must be implemented<br />
correctly.<br />
No doubt this is a Herculean task<br />
and will also cost a lot of money.<br />
Against the background of additional<br />
costs for the pandemic and the military,<br />
this is an even bigger challenge.<br />
Spending the money properly<br />
is therefore essential. Naturally, the<br />
energy supply comes first. It needs to<br />
be converted or expanded to electricity<br />
and hydrogen as resources, and<br />
in some countries also nuclear technology.<br />
When the latter is viewed as<br />
a bridging technology, the energy of<br />
the future requires land area. But we<br />
also want that for food and recreation.<br />
Efficiency is therefore key! Efficiency<br />
in energy generation, transformation<br />
and use, but also efficiency in<br />
the processes for the food chain, logistics<br />
and consumer goods, which<br />
must go hand in hand with habitat<br />
protection. Of course we also need<br />
resource management that produces<br />
little to no waste. Nothing is left out<br />
and everything is connected. We are<br />
therefore talking about completely<br />
different consumer behaviour, about<br />
a new and sustainable industry and<br />
society.<br />
Those are exactly the topics we<br />
want to address in “Green Efficient<br />
Technolo gies”. We want to accompany<br />
you in the inevitable development of<br />
a new industrialised society, providing<br />
comprehensive and competent information<br />
on all topics of technological<br />
rele vance, presenting solution proposals<br />
and sharing progressive ideas.<br />
28 PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong>
lit modular casing<br />
UMPE<br />
less steel,<br />
n request<br />
Differenzdruck-Begrenzungsventil<br />
Differential pressure limiting valve<br />
Spalttopfausführungen:<br />
E metallisch / nicht-metallisch<br />
E einschalig / doppelschalig<br />
Containment shell executions:<br />
E metallic / non-metallic<br />
E single / double shell<br />
WANGEN_<strong>PuK</strong>_Titelseite_216x182.indd 1 24.01.<strong>2022</strong> 15:23:40<br />
WANGEN_<strong>PuK</strong>_Titelseite_216x182.indd 1 24.01.<strong>2022</strong> 15:24:33<br />
GREEN EFFICIENT TECHNOLOGIES<br />
isch Verlags GmbH<br />
traße 25<br />
uremberg, Germany<br />
+ 49 (0) 911 2018-0<br />
49 (0) 911 2018-100<br />
puk@harnisch.com<br />
www.harnisch.com<br />
GREEN EFFICIENT TECHNOLOGIES<br />
GREEN EFFICIENT TECHNOLOGIES<br />
<strong>2022</strong>/23<br />
Energy efficiency thanks to<br />
modern pump technology<br />
The independent media platform for<br />
energy supply, efficiency enhancement and<br />
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LY A MATTER OF ADJUSTMENT<br />
AutoAdjust<br />
PROZESSTECHNIK & KOMPONENTEN<br />
y<br />
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T AutoAdjust easily set the stator clamping of a progressive cavity pump to the optimal operating<br />
0<br />
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emotely from a control room or locally via SEEPEX Pump Monitor or the app. Life cycle costs are<br />
& KOMPONENTEN<br />
0<br />
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Food and Beverage Industry<br />
conveying capacity and productivity:<br />
ys operating at the optimal level<br />
ediate ETY. adaptation to changing process<br />
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ITY.<br />
y integrated into process infrastructure<br />
N.<br />
SCREW PUMP<br />
• Reduced downtime Wasser through Abwasser predictive<br />
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maintenance Energie via cloud Öl connection<br />
Gas Wasserstoff<br />
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• Extended lifespan due to adjustment<br />
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of the stator clamping<br />
Lebensmittel- und Getränkeindustrie<br />
<strong>2022</strong><br />
PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS<br />
<strong>2022</strong><br />
Water Wastewater Environmental <strong>Technology</strong><br />
The hygienic solution<br />
WANGEN VarioTwin NG<br />
Hygienisch fördern<br />
Independent magazine for Pumps, Compressors and <strong>Process</strong> <strong>Components</strong><br />
WANGEN VarioTwin NG<br />
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PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong><br />
SEEPEX GmbH<br />
T +49 2041 996-0<br />
www.seepex.com<br />
Effcient pump technology<br />
from NETZSCH<br />
<strong>2022</strong><br />
www.netzsch.com<br />
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<strong>2022</strong><br />
Independent magazine for Green Efficient Technologies<br />
SAVE ENERGY THANKS TO OUR<br />
LATEST PUMP TECHNOLOGY<br />
CLEVER DESIGN<br />
PRESERVES OUR ENVIROMENT<br />
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Circular economy in the industrial<br />
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Topics H 2<br />
, Synthetic Fuels, Water,<br />
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Dr. Harnisch Verlags GmbH · Eschenstr. 25 · 90441 Nuremberg · Tel.: +49 (0) 911 - 2018 0 · info@harnisch.com · www.harnisch.com
Cover story<br />
Varied requirements governing pumps<br />
for the food industry<br />
Marcus Gutfrucht<br />
Varied and challenging: the food industry,<br />
in particular, places precise<br />
demands on pumps, as they need<br />
to comply with exacting hygiene requirements<br />
and the media can often<br />
be very challenging. Comparing<br />
MX, Twin NG and Vario Twin NG<br />
pump ranges from Pumpenfabrik<br />
Wangen shows that progressing<br />
cavity pumps and twin screw pumps<br />
are ideally suited for different applications<br />
and for pumping a wide variety<br />
of media.<br />
Decision-making criteria when it<br />
comes to choosing the right pump<br />
Key decision-making criteria for or<br />
against the use of certain pumps include<br />
the required pressure, need for<br />
gentle pumping, and non-contact operation.<br />
Further criteria include temperature<br />
requirements for certain<br />
media, the processing of the smallest<br />
residual quantities, and any required<br />
certification. Users can use the Twin<br />
NG series of twin screw pumps for<br />
non-contact pumping, as the spindles<br />
are separated from each other and<br />
from the housing by a gap. There is<br />
therefore no abrasion of elastomers.<br />
The Vario Twin NG is recommended<br />
if the medium is too thick, i. e. highviscosity,<br />
so that it can no longer be<br />
drawn in by suction. This pump complements<br />
the Twin NG and is an additional<br />
module with a hopper and<br />
screw conveyor that enables the medium<br />
to be pre-delivered in a way that<br />
is gentle on the product. The multistage<br />
pump sets of the MX series of<br />
progressing cavity pumps with pressures<br />
of up to 80 bar are appropriate<br />
if, on the other hand, the focus is on<br />
pressure rather than on non-contact<br />
pump operation. Their maximum capacity<br />
is 100 m 3 /h. These pumps are<br />
capable of pumping even the most<br />
viscous, thick media with ease if a<br />
hopper feed pump or a self-priming<br />
pump with a worm pre-conveyor is<br />
selected. A plug screw feeder is attached<br />
to the joint, which converts<br />
the rotary motion of the drive shaft<br />
to the eccentric motion of the rotor.<br />
It transports the medium into the stator-rotor-system,<br />
where the actual<br />
pumping process begins.<br />
Service-friendly design<br />
Twin screw pumps stand out on account<br />
of their service-friendly design.<br />
The pump housing is separated from<br />
the rest of the pump by loosening just<br />
four screws, with no need to disconnect<br />
it from the pipework. This is especially<br />
beneficial with heated pipework<br />
and pump housings, as it is not<br />
necessary to drain and then bleed the<br />
heating circuits once again. Once the<br />
pump has been separated from the<br />
housing, there is free access to the<br />
spindles and seals, which can then<br />
be easily and quickly serviced and replaced.<br />
In general, Twin NG pumps<br />
are capable of flow speeds of over 1.5<br />
m/s in the pipework. They are therefore<br />
also suitable as CIP pumps, as a<br />
sufficiently high flow speed is a criterion<br />
for CIP cleaning (Cleaning in Place).<br />
The ease of servicing of progressing<br />
cavity pumps series comes from<br />
their modular design. Great importance<br />
was attached to a straightforward<br />
design and ease of disassembly<br />
in the design of this pump. The MX 20<br />
series of pumps can be dismantled<br />
by manually removable clamp fastenings,<br />
obviating the need to loosen a<br />
multitude of individual connections.<br />
A torsion rod with no hidden cavities<br />
can be used in place of a cardan joint.<br />
The use of pre-tensioned mechanical<br />
seals provides for a low dead space<br />
design and the medium pumped in<br />
the pump is automatically displaced<br />
by the medium following on. The<br />
dwell times of the fluids in the pumps<br />
are correspondingly short. The dead<br />
space-free design and the possibility<br />
of cleaning the pump using an additional<br />
CIP pump ensures optimum<br />
cleanliness. When appropriate temperature-resistant<br />
elastomers are<br />
used, the pump can also be sterilised<br />
by SIP (Sterilisation in Place) using<br />
saturated steam at temperatures of<br />
up to 135 °C.<br />
Varied applications for the most<br />
diverse media<br />
Fig. 1: Hygienic pumping with the Twin NG VarioTwin NG series of twin screw pumps and MX<br />
series of progressing cavity pumps<br />
Both the twin screw pump series Twin<br />
NG and the progressing cavity pumps<br />
of the MX series are specifically used<br />
in the confectionery industry. Exam-<br />
30 PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong>
Cover story<br />
Certified according to<br />
EHEDG standards<br />
Fig. 2: Twin screw pump Vario Twin NG: Designed to reliably pump low to highly viscous,<br />
volatile or gaseous products where maximum hygiene and efficiency is required<br />
ples of applications include the production<br />
of chocolate masses, creams<br />
and fillings for waffles, dairy pro ducts<br />
of all kinds, honey and gelatin, as well<br />
as soups and minced meat. Vario<br />
Twin NG pumps are primarily used<br />
in the food industry and pump media<br />
that cannot be drawn in by suction,<br />
including dough, ricotta cheese,<br />
apple strudel fillings, mashed potato,<br />
sweetcorn and minced meat. They<br />
are also used to make dough specifically<br />
in the baking industry. This involves<br />
the mixing of flour and water<br />
to produce a homogeneous, smooth<br />
dough without lumps of flour and ensure<br />
consistent hydration of the flour.<br />
“Beyond Meat”, that is meat-free<br />
products, represent a future growth<br />
market. Pumps can also be used in<br />
this sector. The Managing Director of<br />
the pumps manufacturer, explains:<br />
“As the world's population grows,<br />
the demand for food is increasing,<br />
but cannot be met by meat alone<br />
in view of its carbon footprint. Meat<br />
substitutes are therefore becoming<br />
increasingly important. Our pumps<br />
are capable of reliably pumping these<br />
high-viscosity vegetable masses in<br />
the food industry.”<br />
The twin screw pump Vario Twin<br />
NG is an example of a technical solution<br />
to a user problem encountered<br />
with suction. In the food industry,<br />
many media cannot be drawn in by<br />
suction as they are not free-flowing,<br />
but rather set like mashed potato.<br />
Twin screw pumps are nonetheless<br />
capable of pumping these media. The<br />
Fig. 3: Developed and produced in Wangen in the Region of Allgäu, Germany<br />
challenge here is to transport the medium<br />
to the pump. As soon as the medium<br />
is in the pump, the pump then<br />
increases the pressure, which then allows<br />
the medium to “flow”.<br />
This problem is solved with a<br />
worm pre-conveyor and a hopper on<br />
progressing cavity pumps. On these<br />
pumps, the worm pre-conveyor is<br />
attached to the pump joint and rotates<br />
at the same speed as the rotor.<br />
Overpumping or underpumping by<br />
the progressing cavity pump is avoided<br />
by the adjustment of the screw<br />
pitch. By contrast, with Vario Twin NG<br />
twin screw pumps, the pump speed<br />
and the speed of the screw conveyor<br />
are independent of each other due<br />
to them having separate drives. This<br />
means that media of different viscosities<br />
can be gently fed to the pump at<br />
the respective speed required.<br />
The Twin NG series of twin screw<br />
pumps are certified to EHEDG EL<br />
Class I (sizes 70 to 180) and to 3-A<br />
Sanitary Standards (sizes 70 to 130).<br />
They are also designed to be low dead<br />
space and self-draining. The wetted<br />
components are manufactured in<br />
the corresponding qualities of stainless<br />
steel (V4A, 1.4404) and the surface<br />
roughness is below 0.8 µm. The<br />
Twin NG pumps can also be used as<br />
CIP pumps and sterilised using saturated<br />
steam at temperatures of up<br />
to 135 °C. The MX series of progressing<br />
cavity pumps is currently undergoing<br />
a recertification process in line<br />
with the current EHEDG standards.<br />
Certification in accordance with the<br />
currently appli cable 3-A standards is<br />
planned.<br />
The Author: Marcus Gutfrucht,<br />
Application Engineer at<br />
WANGEN PUMPEN, Wangen i.A.,<br />
Germany<br />
PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong><br />
31
Pumps and Systems<br />
Intelligent pump control via app<br />
Cooling tower disinfection via app<br />
Increasing safety and efficiency<br />
SUEZ WTS France creates more safety<br />
for employees and realises an<br />
increase in efficiency in technical<br />
service thanks to intelligent pump<br />
control via mobile app.<br />
Suez Water Technologies & Solutions<br />
(WTS) France is part of the international<br />
Suez Group, which provides industrial<br />
services and solutions. With<br />
its experienced professionals and<br />
modern technology, the company<br />
works to solve the complex challenges<br />
of water scarcity and quality, productivity,<br />
environment and energy.<br />
As a service provider, the French<br />
company is responsible for the operation,<br />
maintenance and servicing<br />
of all kinds of plants with solutions<br />
and services, including evaporative<br />
cooling plants. In the case described<br />
below, it is not only responsible for<br />
the technical equipment and maintenance<br />
of the plant, but also for onsite<br />
technical service in the event of<br />
system failures or process malfunctions.<br />
In the area of evaporative cooling<br />
systems, chemical biocides are<br />
used to disinfect the cooling towers.<br />
The use of biocides is necessary to<br />
free the interior of the cooling towers<br />
from naturally accumulating legionella<br />
and to disinfect the cooling water. A<br />
solenoid driven metering pump from<br />
ProMinent has been used for years to<br />
feed the chemicals. SUEZ employees<br />
who check and adjust the settings of<br />
the pumps on site to ensure the hygienic<br />
operation of the evaporative<br />
cooling systems, have been exposed<br />
to high risks during every operation<br />
up to now.<br />
Therefore, the French service<br />
company has decided to increasingly<br />
rely on an intelligent metering pump<br />
with integrated Bluetooth module.<br />
The proven bestseller impresses<br />
with its operator-friendliness, an integrated<br />
pressure measurement and<br />
precise metering performance. The<br />
pump has an integrated Bluetooth<br />
module that enables remote control<br />
of the pump using its own app. All<br />
that employees need is an Apple or<br />
Android-based mobile device (smartphone<br />
or tablet) and the free app<br />
from the pump manufacturer.<br />
What does the mobile app do?<br />
With the support of the app, service<br />
technicians can easily control the<br />
solenoid driven metering pump via<br />
smartphone from a safe distance.<br />
The mobile app allows central access<br />
to all data of the connected devices.<br />
This means that the current performance<br />
data of the system can be<br />
called up remotely, settings can be<br />
adjusted in real time or the delivery<br />
rate and metering quantity can be<br />
regulated directly. This offers a great<br />
advantage especially in industrial application<br />
areas where pumps are<br />
Fig. 1: Service process of SUEZ WTS France before and after the use of the innovative pump with Bluetooth function and mobile app<br />
32 PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong>
Pumps and Systems<br />
Intelligent pump control via app<br />
sometimes difficult to access or protected<br />
by high security measures.<br />
Efficient and secure: service processes<br />
with app<br />
The use of the mobile app not only increased<br />
safety for their service technicians,<br />
but also made the previously<br />
complex and time-consuming process<br />
considerably more efficient.<br />
Before using the intelligent pump,<br />
the service company first had to set<br />
up an action and safety plan in the<br />
event of a service call or fault/problem<br />
message and have it approved by<br />
the operator of the plant before a service<br />
technician could make his way to<br />
the plant. On site, the service technician<br />
had to identify himself, register<br />
at the plant and put on suitable protective<br />
clothing. Only after this was<br />
access granted. Now the service technician<br />
read out the pump values and<br />
settings and recorded them manually.<br />
After removing the protective<br />
clothing and leaving the plant, the<br />
manually recorded data then had to<br />
be transferred into a digital report.<br />
Up to 60 minutes time saving<br />
Since switching to the proven pump<br />
with mobile app, SUEZ WTS France<br />
has saved up to 60 minutes per service<br />
call. The service technician drives<br />
on site close to the factory building<br />
and, after authentification from the<br />
car, can establish a secure connection<br />
to the pump via his mobile device. He<br />
can access the pump values and settings<br />
via app and export all relevant<br />
Fig. 2: Smart pump control in the cooling tower: With the mobile app, SUEZ WTS France increases<br />
work safety and efficiency in technical service.<br />
data into a digital report at the push<br />
of a button. The entire creation and<br />
approval process within the framework<br />
of an action and safety plan in<br />
coordination with the plant operator<br />
is no longer necessary.<br />
Result<br />
For more than one year now, the<br />
French company has been using the<br />
proven solenoid driven metering<br />
pump with Bluetooth function for<br />
the safe and precise metering of biocides<br />
in evaporative cooling systems.<br />
Thanks to the innovative pump control<br />
via app, the service company was<br />
able to make the previously complex<br />
and time-consuming process significantly<br />
more efficient and to considerably<br />
shorten the operating and maintenance<br />
processes at serviced plants,<br />
thus saving time and costs. At the<br />
same time, safety for its own employees<br />
was increased and the risk during<br />
each service operation was significantly<br />
reduced.<br />
Additional safety thanks to Bluetooth<br />
connectivity<br />
Generally, in any application where<br />
hazardous chemicals are processed,<br />
pumps should be equipped with an<br />
appropriate safety cover to protect<br />
employees. Making changes to the<br />
pump settings or viewing the current<br />
performance data in these applications<br />
is always associated with a high<br />
safety risk for the service technician.<br />
Thanks to the Bluetooth function<br />
of the pumps from the Heidelberg<br />
pump manufacturer, such as the intelligent<br />
solenoid driven metering<br />
pumps, this risk can be reduced, thus<br />
increasing safety for every employee.<br />
ProMinent GmbH, Heidelberg,<br />
Germany<br />
HIGH-PRESSURE TECHNOLOGY<br />
HIGH-PRESSURE SYSTEMS<br />
HIGH-PRESSURE PLUNGER PUMPS<br />
since 1974<br />
▪ max. 3500 bar<br />
▪ max. 4700 l/min<br />
▪ max. 1500 kW<br />
water jetting | hydraulics | process technology www.KAMAT.de/en
Pumps and Systems<br />
Energy-saving conveying technology<br />
Smart Air Injection helps breweries save costs<br />
Invaluable for tasty liquid gold<br />
When processing barley or wheat to<br />
make delicious beer or spirits, breweries<br />
and distilleries do not stint<br />
on good ingredients. But the brewing<br />
industry is struggling with sales<br />
problems, which due to the corona<br />
pandemic have become even<br />
more pressing. Large companies<br />
in particular are challenged with<br />
the need to optimize their production<br />
facilities. How costs can be reduced<br />
while paying increased attention<br />
to sustainability has been<br />
successfully proved by the use of<br />
SEEPEX progressive cavity pumps<br />
with the patented Smart Air Injection<br />
(SAI) system when conveying<br />
spent grains.<br />
Technical know-how from the Ruhr<br />
area, Germany’s pilsner heartland, is<br />
also successfully contributing to the<br />
production of, for example, wheat<br />
beer and light beer since progressive<br />
cavity pumps with SAI are perfectly<br />
suited for conveying highly viscous<br />
materials over long distances. This<br />
is ideal, in particular, when the spent<br />
grains from beer production should<br />
Fig. 1: Smart Air Injection is the energysaving<br />
conveying technology for breweries<br />
and distilleries. (Photo © : Adobe Stock)<br />
Fig. 2: In large breweries, a daily energy<br />
consumption of 1,000 kWh and more for<br />
pneumatic conveying alone is not a rarity.<br />
(photos 2-6 Photo © : SEEPEX)<br />
be conveyed more efficiently than<br />
has previously been possible with<br />
conventional processes. After all, the<br />
patented system requires much less<br />
compressed air and energy to convey<br />
spent malt and hop grains. It compresses<br />
the by-products into huge<br />
plugs and transports them to the silo<br />
or storage tank by means of short<br />
pneumatic compressed air pulses.<br />
Considerable savings in terms of<br />
compressed air, energy and costs<br />
<strong>Process</strong> efficiency can thus be significantly<br />
increased. “Energy costs can<br />
indeed be sustainably reduced with<br />
the SAI conveying principle,” says the<br />
pump manufacturer’s Head of Product<br />
Management. “This conveying<br />
principle reduces the compressed<br />
air consumption by up to 90 percent<br />
thus leading to total energy savings<br />
of up to 75 percent. Our technology<br />
is totally convincing and effectively<br />
supports breweries and distilleries<br />
to produce at considerably reduced<br />
operating costs. When considering<br />
that large companies will easily be<br />
able to annually save a five to six figure<br />
sum of euros in this production<br />
area alone, our tailor-made solution<br />
is an economically attractive alternative<br />
for every brewery and distillery<br />
business.”<br />
Compared with a conventional<br />
pneumatic conveying system for wet<br />
spent grains, the energy costs for the<br />
pump operation are similar to those<br />
of the screw conveyor of a wet spent<br />
grains conveying system, whereas<br />
the compressed air consumption is<br />
significantly lower.<br />
The spent grains removal process<br />
becomes more reliable because<br />
potential fluctuations of the spent<br />
grains’ moisture content will no longer<br />
affect the conveying performance<br />
of the progressive cavity pump. According<br />
to the findings of the Bottrop<br />
experts, the time for spent grains removal<br />
will thus remain remarkably<br />
constant.<br />
Furthermore, piping wear can be<br />
reduced significantly – owing to the<br />
plug conveyance the flow rates are<br />
five fold lower than with the continuous<br />
pneumatic lean-phase conveying<br />
of wet spent grains in conventional<br />
conveying systems.<br />
The task: Convey the spent grains<br />
more efficiently<br />
As large breweries have to deal with<br />
several hundreds of tons of spent<br />
grains every day, the pneumatic conveyance<br />
of the material causes an<br />
energy consumption of up to 1,000<br />
kWh and more. So far, the by-product<br />
has been conveyed with conventional<br />
pneumatic conveying systems for<br />
wet spent grains that almost continuously<br />
need to be supplied with compressed<br />
air.<br />
After having lautered the liquid<br />
phase (wort) from the brew, solids<br />
from barley and hops remaining<br />
in the mash tun, lauter tun or mash<br />
filter should be discharged as soon<br />
as possible. Usually, these wet spent<br />
34 PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong>
Fig. 3: Smart Air Injection is a tailor-made SEEPEX system solution, which combines<br />
progressive cavity pump with compressed air conveying for breweries<br />
and distilleries<br />
high compressed air consumption<br />
and eventually high<br />
energy costs for the brewery.<br />
The almost continuous provision<br />
of compressed air for<br />
the wet spent grains conveying<br />
system leads to high costs.<br />
Together with the energy consumption<br />
of the screw conveyor<br />
this incurs annual energy<br />
costs amounting to tens of<br />
thousands of euros – a big disadvantage<br />
in the highly competitive<br />
beer market. Large<br />
breweries operating 24/7 and<br />
using compressors with an output<br />
of around 100 kW for their<br />
pneumatic spent grains conveying<br />
will be able to save more<br />
than 100,000 euros per year by<br />
implementing SAI.<br />
The solution: Short pulses<br />
and long plugs<br />
Fig. 4: Smart Air Injection is a real all-rounder that is successfully used in various<br />
industries. The system consists of the combination of a progressive cavity<br />
pump and dense phase pneumatic conveying.<br />
Fig. 5: The SAI controller can visualize the entire SAI process,<br />
including fault diagnosis.<br />
grains have a moisture content<br />
of 75 to 85 percent and a<br />
temperature of approx. 55 to<br />
70 °C. After the spent grains removal<br />
the solids are frequently<br />
conveyed over a distance of<br />
up to several hundred meters<br />
to a silo at a higher level. From<br />
there the wet spent grains are<br />
transported by truck in order to<br />
be used as a resource in animal<br />
feed production or for power<br />
generation in biogas plants.<br />
The transport of the huge<br />
quantities of wet spent grains<br />
from the removal station to the<br />
silo is usually performed by a<br />
pneumatic conveying system<br />
for wet spent grains consisting<br />
of an integrated screw conveyor<br />
with subsequent pneumatic<br />
lean-phase conveying. The conventional<br />
system uses continuously<br />
flowing compressed air to<br />
suspend the spent grains in the<br />
line, which, however, means<br />
Short compressed air pulses<br />
in greater intervals can easily<br />
convey long plugs of wet spent<br />
grains. This is like the good old<br />
pneumatic tube mail system of<br />
days gone bye. With SAI, the<br />
screw conveyor of the conventional<br />
system is exchanged for<br />
a progressive cavity pump of<br />
hopper design that can seamlessly<br />
be integrated into the existing<br />
plant. For a period of several<br />
minutes, the progressive<br />
cavity pump fills the pressure<br />
line with plugs of wet spent<br />
grains until the perfect length<br />
has been formed. The plugs<br />
are then be conveyed by an injection<br />
of compressed air that<br />
takes only a few seconds. The<br />
pressure level in the conveying<br />
pipeline permanently remains<br />
at a very low level of less than<br />
four bar.<br />
Speeding up Irish whiskey<br />
Conveying the spent grains is<br />
an important production step<br />
not only for beer. Irish whiskey,<br />
for instance, also benefits from<br />
the technology of the pump<br />
manufacturer from Bottrop<br />
for optimal production speed.<br />
PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong>
Pumps and Systems<br />
Energy-saving conveying technology<br />
retrofit the valve control system for<br />
compressed air injection with the system<br />
logic for plug conveyance. This<br />
fundamentally changes the type of<br />
pneumatic conveyance making it a<br />
lot more energy-efficient. Ultimately,<br />
these plants are run continuously<br />
to produce an uninterrupted flow of<br />
“liquid gold”. The Bottrop-based company<br />
has already supplied numerous<br />
applications of Smart Air Injection to<br />
operations all over Europe, in China<br />
and in the USA.<br />
Fig. 6: Thanks to the “plugs of spent grains”, Smart Air Injection makes the production<br />
process of breweries and distilleries more efficient without the need of stinting on good<br />
ingredients.<br />
SEEPEX GmbH,<br />
Bottrop, Germany<br />
Some of the largest manufacturers<br />
of premium Irish whiskey rely for the<br />
production of their precious firewater<br />
on technology from North Rhine-<br />
Westphalia. The progressive cavity<br />
pumps play a significant part in allowing<br />
the distilleries to considerably increase<br />
their production volume with<br />
no compromise on quality.<br />
Faster spent grains removal facilitates<br />
higher production utilization,<br />
so that the increasing demand for<br />
the noble liquor can be satisfied. In<br />
most cases the supplier replaces the<br />
screw conveyor of an existing pneumatic<br />
conveying system for wet spent<br />
grains by its progressive cavity pump<br />
with intake hopper. It can reliably<br />
convey both low and highly viscous<br />
products with low or high moisture<br />
content. Depending on the moisture<br />
content, the technology made in Germany<br />
reduces the time required for<br />
spent grains removal by up to 50 %.<br />
Further benefits include the compact<br />
design of the progressive cavity<br />
pumps and easy maintenance. Even<br />
for existing systems it is possible to<br />
Technical facts and figures<br />
During the individual process optimization phase the pump manufacturer team gradually<br />
establishes the optimal operating status for the brewery or distillery by successively<br />
adapting the plug length of the wet spent grains. The longer the plug, the rarer the system<br />
needs compressed air thus consuming fewer standard cubic meters. The operational<br />
reliability is not a problem here, since a sufficient pressure reserve is always available.<br />
The length of the spent grains plug is crucial for achieving the optimal operating<br />
point in terms of reliability and efficiency. For example, shorter plugs provide more reliability<br />
but inevitably increase the injection frequency, which leads to higher compressed<br />
air consumption and thus more energy demand. The challenge is to find the optimal setting<br />
for every application by balancing the magic triangle of high performance, reliability<br />
and costs. Lengthening the plug helps to gradually minimize the average compressed<br />
air consumption. Throttling the air volume flow rate may also help to optimize the pneumatic<br />
flow properties, because the plug flow becomes smoother so that the pulse forces<br />
can be reduced. In addition, the optimal air consumption (Nm 3 per injection) can thus<br />
be set more easily. Here, the required standard cubic meters of compressed air per injection<br />
are almost identical with the pipe volume so that only a slight overpressure is<br />
needed to push the plug to the silo, even over a long distance.<br />
SAI: Ideal system for long distances<br />
The tailor-made system solution is successful already in other applications and, for example,<br />
is seen as a recognized solution also in the environmental sector, where highly<br />
viscous media with a high consistency and a medium-to-high dry matter content are reliably<br />
conveyed over long distances of up to one kilometer. The system is a combination<br />
of product conveyance via a progressive cavity pump and dense phase pneumatic conveying.<br />
Its high process flexibility is ensured by the smooth media pumping with a variable<br />
moisture content of 60 to 85 percent - without compromising its efficiency. Moreover<br />
the system can easily be integrated into existing automation and control systems.<br />
36 PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong>
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the company has long since proven itself in these industrial sectors as well.<br />
Nevertheless, the more elaborate and automated the process, the greater the<br />
demands on the machines. That’s why we’re introducing a new generation of<br />
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Pumps and Systems<br />
Leak testing on progressing cavity pumps<br />
New process developed for safe and<br />
reliable leak testing on progressing cavity<br />
pumps using compressed air<br />
Method decreases the risk of accidents and reduces<br />
the use of drinking water by saving 10 l per pump and test<br />
Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Johann Vetter<br />
The unique rotor-stator geometry<br />
of a progressing cavity pump makes<br />
it impossible to fully dry out the<br />
pump after a conventional leak test<br />
with water. The water-based test<br />
process can partially wash away the<br />
corrosion protection on the rotor.<br />
A subsequent complete application<br />
of preserving products due to the<br />
thread effect is hardly possible. This<br />
can lead to corrosion on standard<br />
pumps, which are often made of<br />
carbon steel. Another disadvantage<br />
water-based testing is the moisture<br />
that often remains on the floor of<br />
the test benches, where it poses an<br />
increased risk of accidents for the<br />
staff. This prompted the manufacturer<br />
NETZSCH Pumpen & Systeme<br />
GmbH to develop a compressed<br />
air solution for leak testing. The<br />
new process and the change of the<br />
test medium eliminate the slipping<br />
hazard for employees and the risk<br />
of corrosion. At the same time, the<br />
use of corrosion protection products<br />
can also be omitted. In addition<br />
to this, 10 l of drinking water<br />
are saved per pump and the test period<br />
was reduced from 1.5 to 5 min.<br />
The German company has been using<br />
the new test solution for pumps<br />
of the sizes NM 003 to NM 063 since<br />
August 2021 and the process is already<br />
used at the factory in Goa/India<br />
as well.<br />
When it comes to leak testing on progressing<br />
cavity pumps, the standard<br />
procedure is to introduce water under<br />
pressure over a defined period<br />
and then check for leaks. The manufacturer<br />
from Waldkraiburg in Germany,<br />
for example, tests its pumps<br />
at 7 bar for 5 to 15 min as a 100-%<br />
test, i. e. a leak can be 100 per cent<br />
excluded upon successful completion<br />
of the test. But this method also<br />
has drawbacks, so the pump manufacturer<br />
consequently set out to develop<br />
an alternative, settling on compressed<br />
air testing in March 2021.<br />
had to be made gas-tight, the relative<br />
differential pressure had to be determined<br />
and the appropriate filling and<br />
holding time had to be defined for<br />
each pump type or size.<br />
To find the correct specification<br />
and produce a practical test solution,<br />
Fig. 1: When it comes to leak testing on progressing cavity pumps, the standard procedure is<br />
to introduce water under pressure over a defined period and then check for leaks.<br />
Solution for compressed air testing<br />
developed in a pilot system<br />
The company based its development<br />
on other sectors such as the airbag<br />
industry. In the airbag manufacturing<br />
process, airbags are leak tested with<br />
gas as a standard. Two of the benefits<br />
of this procedure are that no media<br />
is transferred and that the test can<br />
be completed much more quickly. The<br />
latter is because the gas has a lower<br />
density than air, allowing leaks to be<br />
detected faster and with greater accuracy.<br />
However, the different viscosities<br />
of the two media also presented<br />
the manufacturer with challenges during<br />
the development of a test method.<br />
For example, the pumps to be tested<br />
the company experimented with a pilot<br />
system for the series-production<br />
assembly of small pump. Around<br />
200 comparison tests between water<br />
and compressed air were conducted<br />
until the experts settled on<br />
500 mbar test pressure, a maximum<br />
pressure drop of 50 mbar and a test<br />
duration of 25 s for the compressed<br />
air test based on this empirical investigation.<br />
In the second step, the successfully<br />
tested solution was transferred<br />
to a production test bench<br />
for the medium series with sizes up<br />
to NM 063 and verified successfully.<br />
Depending on the pump size, the<br />
test is conducted with different test<br />
programs to reach the corresponding<br />
overpressure. In addition, the<br />
38 PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong>
Pumps and Systems<br />
Leak testing on progressing cavity pumps<br />
pressure in the complete interior is<br />
measured with a pressure gauge on<br />
the opposite side of the test. This ensures<br />
that the pressure is present<br />
during the whole test.<br />
For the test, the pump is always<br />
equipped with a flange on each intake<br />
side and delivery side, while<br />
the leak test device is connected to<br />
the intake side with a compressed<br />
air coupling and the pressure gauge<br />
is connected to the delivery side.<br />
The parameters for the pressure<br />
test have to be set according to the<br />
pump type and size. For an NM 063<br />
progressing cavity pump, for example,<br />
we fill the pump for 80 s, let the<br />
medium settle for 10 s, test for 25 s<br />
and then it takes 30 s to release the<br />
pressure. The subsequent test is automated.<br />
If the result is OK, the pressure<br />
gauge and the leak test device<br />
can be disconnected and the flanges<br />
can be removed. If the test results<br />
indicate a leak, however, a sniffer is<br />
used to determine the pressure difference<br />
in the pump, followed by a<br />
repair and re-testing of the pump.<br />
Fig. 2: After successfully completing of the<br />
test, the water has to be drained from the<br />
pump on the test bench. It runs onto the<br />
workshop floor and then through drainage<br />
channels into the sewer system, creating<br />
wet surfaces that are a slipping hazard and<br />
accident risk for personnel.<br />
Comparison with conventional<br />
testing with water<br />
One advantage of testing with compressed<br />
air over conventional testing<br />
with water is that the corrosion<br />
protection inside the pump remains<br />
fully intact after the test. Before the<br />
stator is installed in the progressing<br />
cavity pump, the rotor is covered<br />
in oil or grease, and this preservative<br />
can be partially removed and<br />
flushed away by the water during the<br />
test. After the test, the water can be<br />
expelled from the pump with compressed<br />
air and a preserving agent<br />
is applied to protect the unit against<br />
corrosion. But one problem remains:<br />
The test medium cannot be fully removed<br />
from inside the pump during<br />
drying out, which is due to the operating<br />
principle of progressing cavity<br />
pumps. This is similar to a screw<br />
thread, i. e. any liquid in the thread<br />
turns cannot be fully removed due to<br />
the cavities and the adhesion.<br />
A similar principle applies to applying<br />
preserving products: A relatively<br />
high level of corrosion protection<br />
can be achieved in the intake<br />
and delivery sides, as the remaining<br />
water is easy to remove there. However,<br />
inside the pump, the thread effect<br />
means that it is also harder to
Pumps and Systems<br />
Leak testing on progressing cavity pumps<br />
Fig. 3: To find the right specification and produce a practical test solution, the company experimented<br />
with a pilot system for the series-production assembly of small pumps.<br />
apply the preserving agent. While this<br />
is not a crucial issue on durable stainless<br />
steel pumps, standard pumps –<br />
which are often made of more inexpensive<br />
carbon steel – have an<br />
increased risk of corrosion on the rotor.<br />
The procedure also uses 10 l of<br />
test medium, which is critical considering<br />
the growing worldwide shortage<br />
of drinking water. Health and<br />
safety aspects should also be considered:<br />
After successfully completing<br />
the test, the water has to be drained<br />
from the pump in the test bench. It<br />
runs onto the workshop floor and<br />
then through drainage channels and<br />
into the sewer system, creating wet<br />
surfaces that are a slipping and accident<br />
risk for the staff.<br />
Other advantages of compressed<br />
air testing: saving resources while<br />
increasing safety and customer<br />
satisfaction<br />
While a leak test with water takes 5<br />
to 15 minutes, this period is reduced<br />
to 1.5 to 5 minutes when testing with<br />
compressed air. This reduces the processing<br />
time on the test bench by 30<br />
per cent overall – despite the installation<br />
of the equipment for a compressed<br />
air test requiring more time<br />
and greater precision. In addition, the<br />
10 l of drinking water needed per test<br />
can be completely omitted, saving not<br />
only water but also ensuring a clean<br />
and safe workstation – no more slipping<br />
hazards around the test bench.<br />
In addition to all this, the time required<br />
for drying the pump and applying<br />
corrosion protection to flanges and<br />
threads can be omitted entirely. Overall,<br />
the compressed air leak test developed<br />
by the pump manufacturer is a<br />
reliable, SAP-compatible process that<br />
can be conducted flexibly with a mobile<br />
test trolley while significantly reducing<br />
quality problems caused by<br />
corrosion.<br />
The purchasing costs for the system<br />
are just under 17,000 euros, resulting<br />
in a payback period of the investment<br />
costs for the manufacturer<br />
of only six months when all potential<br />
savings from the new test solution are<br />
taken into account. As the process for<br />
conducting the pressure tests with<br />
compressed air increases health and<br />
safety as well as customer satisfaction,<br />
the system has been used since<br />
August 2021 for testing all pumps of<br />
the sizes NM 003 and NM 063. It is only<br />
for pumps NM 076 and larger that the<br />
company still uses water as a test medium<br />
because the large empty volume<br />
means that test section cannot settle<br />
with compressed air within an adequate<br />
time. Since 1 October 2021, the<br />
Indian subsidiary in Goa has also successfully<br />
used the new process for leak<br />
testing. A changeover is scheduled for<br />
other factories worldwide.<br />
The Author:<br />
Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Johann Vetter,<br />
Director of Integrated Quality<br />
Management, NETZSCH Pumpen &<br />
Systeme GmbH, Waldkraiburg,<br />
Germany<br />
40 PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong>
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World’s Leading Trade Fair for the<br />
Beverage and Liquid Food Industry<br />
September 12–16, <strong>2022</strong><br />
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Pumps and Systems<br />
Diaphragm metering pumps<br />
Reduce manufacturing costs by 40 %:<br />
Pump design using the example of the<br />
ecosmart LCC and LCD units<br />
Product development using state-of-the-art project management,<br />
design and simulation methods<br />
Thomas Bökenbrink<br />
Many areas of the chemical and oil<br />
and gas industries require pumps<br />
that operate reliably and deliver high<br />
output, but have low investment<br />
costs at the same time. The proven<br />
hydraulic actuated ecosmart diaphragm<br />
metering pump from LEWA<br />
GmbH, for example, was designed<br />
specifically for these requirements.<br />
Suitable for operating pressures up<br />
to 80 bar and flow rates up to 300 l/h,<br />
it has already been in use for several<br />
years in many industries and a wide<br />
variety of applications. In order to<br />
cover higher flow rates in the future,<br />
it is currently being supplemented<br />
with two more powerful variants,<br />
the LCC and LCD. For their development,<br />
the R&D department worked<br />
out a design concept based on an indepth<br />
evaluation of the LCA model,<br />
the use of proven diaphragm technology<br />
and the requirement of low<br />
investment costs. The latter could be<br />
achieved by using series parts from<br />
the existing modular system that is<br />
already cost-optimized, as well as by<br />
simplifying components and reducing<br />
the number of parts per pump.<br />
In addition to traditional simulation<br />
methods, such as strength analyses<br />
according to the FEM method<br />
and computational strength analyses<br />
according to the FKM guideline,<br />
for the first time, the company also<br />
used the smoothed particle hydrodynamics<br />
method (SPH for short).<br />
This method is used in the automotive<br />
industry, for example, to simulate<br />
fluid movements. The result of<br />
the development work was a new<br />
modular system consisting of three<br />
drive unit performance classes and<br />
the associated diaphragm pump<br />
heads. This development holds its<br />
own against the higher-priced hydraulic<br />
diaphragm metering pumps<br />
of the ecoflow series in terms of reliability,<br />
robustness and user-friendliness.<br />
Nonetheless, a 40 percent reduction<br />
in manufacturing costs was<br />
achieved in comparison.<br />
Fig. 1: In order to cover higher flow rates in the future, the LCA is currently being supplemented<br />
with two more powerful variants, the LCC and LCD. (all photos: LEWA GmbH)<br />
Fig. 2: The proven diaphragm technology<br />
with spring-supported suction stroke was<br />
used, which ensures high operational reliability<br />
and fatigue strength for the diaphragm<br />
as a core component.<br />
While numerous processes in a wide<br />
variety of industries, such as the<br />
chemical industry, require reliable<br />
units, relatively low discharge pressures<br />
in the low double digits also allow<br />
for less complex, more cost-effective<br />
pump technology at the same<br />
time. Therefore, pump manufacturers<br />
usually also have units in their<br />
portfolio that cover these reduced requirements.<br />
For example, in addition<br />
to the proven, highly flexible, hydraulic<br />
diaphragm metering pump series,<br />
the Leonberg-based company has<br />
also been offering a less expensive<br />
diaphragm metering pump for several<br />
years. With the LCA model, however,<br />
a flow rate of up to 300 l/h was<br />
previously only possible in the singlepump<br />
version at operating pressures<br />
up to a maximum of 80 bar. In order<br />
to be able to cover higher flow rates<br />
with this series, the pump manufac-<br />
42 PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong>
Pumps and Systems<br />
Diaphragm metering pumps<br />
turer's engineers developed two additional,<br />
larger pump variants starting<br />
in 2019. The aim was to scale up the<br />
diaphragm metering pump to a higher<br />
capacity at the same proven safety<br />
level and using high quality own components,<br />
but without significantly increasing<br />
the low investment cost typical<br />
for this pump series. This was to<br />
be achieved by a consistent modular<br />
principle within the pump series, as<br />
well as a strict focus on the essential<br />
functions and features.<br />
Reducing costs while maintaining<br />
operational reliability and fatigue<br />
strength<br />
Fig. 3: The central, completely redesigned diaphragm drive, in which all hydraulic functions<br />
are now integrated, also plays key role in the technical design.<br />
For the development project, the engineers<br />
worked out a design concept<br />
based on the analysis and evaluation<br />
of the predecessor product, the<br />
LCA. It involves the use of proven diaphragm<br />
technology with spring-supported<br />
suction stroke, which enables<br />
the very high operational safety and<br />
service life of the diaphragm as a core<br />
component and thus contributes significantly<br />
to the great robustness and<br />
reliability of the diaphragm metering<br />
pumps. In addition, components and<br />
assemblies were to be largely simplified<br />
in order to achieve the targeted<br />
cost reduction compared to the ecoflow<br />
series. Among other things, the<br />
sealing concept of the pistons was<br />
changed from piston rings to a gap<br />
seal and the manufacturing process<br />
of the diaphragm bodies was adapted.<br />
In the future, manufacturing will<br />
change from the use of solid 316L<br />
material to investment casting, which<br />
enables the manufacturing costs of<br />
this component to be reduced by<br />
more than 50 percent. There is also<br />
an integrated pressure relief valve,<br />
which is made up of significantly fewer<br />
individual components. “Since fewer<br />
components produce fewer costs –<br />
including from a logistics and process<br />
perspective – reducing the number of<br />
parts is also an essential part of the<br />
design concept for the new pumps,”<br />
explains the Team Leader Research &<br />
Development Mechanics of the pump<br />
company. For example, the same oil<br />
was used for gear and hydraulic functions<br />
and the plunger was directly<br />
connected to the connecting rod of<br />
Fig. 4: In the future, the diaphragm bodies<br />
will no longer be made of 316L solid<br />
material but will be manufactured using<br />
the investment casting process, which has<br />
reduced the manufacturing costs of this<br />
component by more than 50 percent.<br />
the crank drive. The elimination of a<br />
plunger rod, typical of these pumps,<br />
was made possible by a clever rearrangement<br />
of the power-transmitting<br />
components. The central, completely<br />
redesigned diaphragm drive, in which<br />
all hydraulic functions are now inte-<br />
grated, also plays key role in the technical<br />
design.<br />
Existing series parts from existing<br />
modular systems were also used<br />
which, in terms of price/performance<br />
ratio, were clearly superior to a new<br />
design in small series production.<br />
This is where the effects of increased<br />
unit volumes have a positive impact.<br />
This applies to various components,<br />
such as worm gears, bearings, stroke<br />
adjustment and connecting rods, as<br />
well as product valves and customer<br />
connection adapters. At the same<br />
Fig. 5: There is also an integrated pressure relief valve, which consists of significantly fewer individual<br />
components (pictured: pressure relief valve from ecoflow above, from ecosmart below).<br />
time, the decision was made to transfer<br />
special customer requirements –<br />
for example with regard to the use of<br />
special materials such as Hastelloy or<br />
specialized designs for the pharmaceutical<br />
and food industries – to the<br />
more flexible ecoflow modular system<br />
in principle.<br />
PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong><br />
43
Pumps and Systems<br />
Diaphragm metering pumps<br />
The challenge of the<br />
shared oil bath<br />
In practice, the development<br />
work was accompanied by an<br />
FMEA (Failure Mode and Effects<br />
Analysis) and risk assessments<br />
according to MRL and ATEX. The<br />
design was carried out with the<br />
aid of an advanced 3D CAD system<br />
and was validated by the<br />
use of kinematic collision analyses.<br />
“In addition, we perform<br />
strength calculations in product<br />
development according to the<br />
classic finite element method<br />
(FEM) as well as computational<br />
strength verifications according<br />
to the FKM guideline (computational<br />
strength verification of<br />
machine components),” explains<br />
an RD Engineer, Research & Development<br />
Mechanics from the<br />
supplier. “FEM is known to be<br />
used to determine deformations<br />
of components under certain<br />
load boundary conditions,<br />
such as assembly forces, transport<br />
forces and accelerations,<br />
and operating forces and accelerations.”<br />
The strength verification<br />
according to the FKM guideline<br />
is then used to determine<br />
the load factor of the component<br />
under static and dynamic boundary<br />
conditions – and thus the operational<br />
strength. This enabled<br />
the German manufacturer to reduce<br />
the amount of testing on<br />
real components and thus shorten<br />
the development time for the<br />
LCC and LCD models. “These calculations<br />
are also particularly important<br />
for us because our units<br />
are often used to convey hazardous<br />
fluids,” adds another Engineer.<br />
“In the simulation, worstcase<br />
scenarios are considered<br />
that are sometimes very difficult<br />
to implement in tests. This way,<br />
the risk of accidents can be significantly<br />
minimized.”<br />
In accordance with the design<br />
concept, focus was not<br />
only on the safety and robustness<br />
of the units but also on reducing<br />
the number of parts. In<br />
the course of the project, for<br />
example, it was checked whether<br />
a shared oil bath and the direct<br />
connection of the plunger to the<br />
connecting rod, which could potentially<br />
eliminate five components,<br />
could be implemented<br />
in practice. “The compromise<br />
of using only one kind of oil for<br />
lubrication and the transfer of<br />
hydraulic energy is something<br />
we have verified in many thousands<br />
of hours of endurance<br />
testing,” the Engineer says. Many<br />
series-produced drive unit components<br />
could also be taken over<br />
due to their high volume and the<br />
resulting suitable costs. However,<br />
this also led to challenges.<br />
For example, in order use the series-production<br />
connecting rods<br />
and achieve an easy assembly,<br />
the positioning of the worm<br />
shaft in the drive element housing<br />
was changed which caused<br />
a change in the oil dynamics.<br />
During operation, the oil was distributed<br />
unevenly in the drive<br />
units of the triple pump and an<br />
oil wave formed. This impeded<br />
the oil exchange between the<br />
multiplex drive unit, which had<br />
an unfavorable effect on lubrication<br />
and hydraulics.<br />
Solution with the help of a<br />
simulation of oil movements<br />
with SPH<br />
“We were able to see the effect on<br />
the physical test object, but it was<br />
difficult to look inside the components<br />
to determine exactly what<br />
was happening there and how<br />
it could be fixed,” the Engineer<br />
said. Therefore, the engineers<br />
needed a simulation method to<br />
illustrate the processes within<br />
the drive unit. However, the CFD<br />
and CFX methods used to simulate<br />
pump behavior to date were<br />
not very suitable for figuring out<br />
the phenomenon, as they would<br />
have required an enormous<br />
amount of time, and thus money,<br />
for this problem. For this reason,<br />
the engineers decided to take a<br />
new approach and use a method<br />
originally developed to deal<br />
with astrophysical problems in<br />
three-dimensional space for the<br />
first time. SPH is a particle-based<br />
method and is generally used<br />
when highly dynamic and strong<br />
flows or free surface flows need<br />
to be simulated efficiently. Classic<br />
application areas include the<br />
simulation of oil flows in vehicle<br />
transmissions or the simulation<br />
of tank sloshing.<br />
“We had to do several cycles,<br />
including investigating a few<br />
hypo theses on the physical test<br />
object, but we ultimately obtained<br />
reliable simulation results very<br />
quickly that reproduced the observed<br />
flow behavi or well and in a<br />
usable way,” the RD Engineer explains.<br />
“The simulation has helped<br />
us tremendously in understanding<br />
the phenomenon.” Corrective<br />
measures were subsequently designed<br />
and implemented. Further<br />
simulations and the subsequent<br />
validation of the modifications<br />
used showed the desired homogeneous<br />
oil distribution and low<br />
oil movements on the surface.<br />
Fig. 6: Examination with SPH method: before – after<br />
During operation, the oil was unevenly distributed in the triple pump's drive units,<br />
forming an oil wave. To solve the oil wave problem, the engineers used SPH for<br />
the first time, a method originally developed to deal with astrophysical problems<br />
in three-dimensional space, now generally used when highly dynamic and strong<br />
flows or free surface flows need to be simulated efficiently. Pictured: Simulation oil<br />
distribution in a triple pump before/after<br />
New modular system with<br />
40 % reduction in manufacturing<br />
costs<br />
The development work was successfully<br />
completed in December<br />
2021. The result was a new<br />
ecosmart mo dular system consisting<br />
of three drive unit performance<br />
classes and the associated<br />
diaphragm pump heads. The new<br />
product range includes single and<br />
multiplex pumps, four gear ratios,<br />
a manual as well as an electric<br />
stroke length adjustment, ten<br />
plunger diameters in the hydraulic<br />
part and three material variants.<br />
Wear-related long-term tests<br />
and function-related short tests<br />
to determine the technical characteristics<br />
and the function under<br />
extreme challenging conditions<br />
(temperature, pressure, stroke<br />
frequencies, input speeds) had<br />
previously proven the robustness,<br />
durability and reliability of the new<br />
low-cost pump range.<br />
The BOM structure of the<br />
pump product was designed according<br />
to the requirements of<br />
the automated configuration software<br />
(drive element, pump head,<br />
drive flange, fluid valves, valve<br />
bodies as customer-provided connection<br />
adapters). At the same<br />
time, in addition to the technical<br />
targets, a 40 percent reduction in<br />
manufacturing costs was achieved<br />
compared to the high-pressure diaphragm<br />
pumps of the same size<br />
from the ecoflow series. “The experience<br />
we gained during this<br />
project through the engineering<br />
concept, the testing and the measures<br />
derived from it have provided<br />
us with some new insights and<br />
generated knowledge which we<br />
will also benefit from in future development<br />
projects,” the Team<br />
Leader Research & Development<br />
Mechanics sums up.<br />
The Auhtor: Thomas Bökenbrink,<br />
Lead Product Manager Pumps,<br />
LEWA GmbH, Leonberg, Germany<br />
44 PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong>
Pumps and Systems<br />
Report<br />
Pump makes transporting high-viscosity<br />
3D printing materials easy<br />
Light-curing liquid materials are used<br />
in many 3D printing processes in the<br />
medical technology industry, especially<br />
in dentistry. However, processing<br />
and delivering these complex<br />
high-viscosity composites presents<br />
a considerable challenge for pump<br />
technology. DMG Dental-Material<br />
GmbH, based in Hamburg, Germany,<br />
relies on the sine pump from Maso-<br />
Sine, a division of Watson-Marlow.<br />
This innovative, high-performance,<br />
positive displacement pump not only<br />
protects high-viscosity materials,<br />
while delivering them effectively, but<br />
is also easy to clean and maintain.<br />
Hamburg-based DMG Dental-Material<br />
Gesellschaft mbH is synonymous<br />
with high-quality dental material. Their<br />
products not only beautify the smiles of<br />
countless patients, but also make the<br />
daily work with dental materials easier<br />
for dentists and laboratories in more<br />
than 90 countries worldwide. One of<br />
the company's specialist areas is the<br />
research and development of innovative<br />
materials and products combining<br />
inventiveness and a love of quality.<br />
With their R&D and production “Made<br />
in Germany”, The company claims to<br />
be the market leader in the field of innovative<br />
materials. And rightly so, as<br />
its more than 50-year history shows: In<br />
2009, for example, it launched the first<br />
product for drill-free treatment of incipient<br />
caries by caries infiltration.<br />
In order to ensure the easiest possible<br />
handling for a wide range of applications<br />
even before printing, the<br />
products are offered in plastic bottles<br />
of various sizes. Production and<br />
filling of the products take place in<br />
the state-of-the-art production building<br />
that was newly built only a few<br />
years ago. Some products in the<br />
light-curing 3D printing plastic family<br />
are offered in larger bottles containing<br />
1000 grams, in addition to the<br />
smaller containers. Smaller quantities<br />
were previously filled with a dosing<br />
pump, but for the larger containers,<br />
but also to increase the filling<br />
capacity, the Hamburg-based company<br />
had to go new ways.<br />
Therefore, a new filling station<br />
was designed for the liquid 3D materials.<br />
The products have to be dispersed<br />
in a container during the<br />
filling process, otherwise the components,<br />
i.e. fillers and solvents, could<br />
separate. The materials with a viscosity<br />
of - depending on the product<br />
– up to 10,000 mPas are pumped to<br />
the filling valve via an approximately<br />
5.5-metre-long ring line made of<br />
PTFE hoses. There, only a very small<br />
proportion of the mass is removed<br />
and filled into the bottles via a piston<br />
valve; the rest is pumped back into<br />
the dispersion tank.<br />
Highly viscous media and frequent<br />
product changes<br />
The ring line is fed via a positive displacement<br />
pump, which sucks in the<br />
highly viscous liquid during dispersion,<br />
i. e. it must have a sufficiently<br />
high suction capacity. The gentlest<br />
possible pumping is of particular importance:<br />
Strong pulsation peaks<br />
could theoretically lead to a lower<br />
precision of the filling valve and thus<br />
to more cumbersome filling or expensive<br />
overfilling. Due to the sensitive<br />
pumped media, strong shear<br />
forces during the pumping process<br />
should also be avoided. Since some<br />
of the pumped media are class IIa<br />
medical products, even the slightest<br />
abrasion, for example of hoses,<br />
must be excluded. Since several different<br />
products of the 3D material<br />
family are filled at the station, among<br />
others, the pump used must be suitable<br />
for more frequent product<br />
changes, i. e. enable maximum operating<br />
times with quick and easy main-<br />
Wide range of 3D dental<br />
printing materials<br />
The year 2017 marked another milestone<br />
for the company: They presented<br />
a new product family of liquid,<br />
light-curing plastics for dental 3D<br />
printing as well as matching 3D printers<br />
from a single source. This wide selection<br />
allows a variety of application<br />
areas in additive digital prosthetics to<br />
be covered, from individual impression<br />
trays to bite splints.<br />
Fig. 1: In addition to the smaller containers, some materials for 3D printing are offered in<br />
larger bottles containing 1000 grams, filling is performed via a ring line.<br />
46 PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong>
Problem solver for<br />
process engineering<br />
and sewage technology<br />
www.eggerpumps.com<br />
May 30 - June 3, <strong>2022</strong><br />
Messe München<br />
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Turo ® Vortex series T and TA<br />
Suitable for high solids concentrations<br />
and shear sensitive products in<br />
the chemical industry and for clogfree<br />
pumping of raw sewage with<br />
fibres and sludge.<br />
Fig. 2: The ring line is fed via a sinusoidal pump from MasoSine, part of WMFTG<br />
tenance or cleaning. “Since we first flush<br />
the pump with a cleaning solution and<br />
then additionally perform manual cleaning,<br />
the effort for disassembly and assembly<br />
should naturally be as low as possible,”<br />
says the production technician of the dental<br />
material company.<br />
In the end, DMG therefore opted for a<br />
sine pump from the supplier, to feed the<br />
ring line. The company already used several<br />
products from the supplier for smaller<br />
volumes, so it made sense to turn to<br />
him again. The Sales Engineer Biopharm<br />
at the pump manufacturer, recommended<br />
pumping trials with a sine pump.<br />
Sine pump – efficient functional principle<br />
for high viscosities<br />
In this innovative type of positive displacement<br />
pump, developed and produced in<br />
the Swabian town of Ilsfeld, rotation of a<br />
sinusoidal rotor creates four equally sized<br />
chambers which are displaced as a whole<br />
– their volume therefore does not change<br />
during the process. The medium to be<br />
pumped is gently conveyed in these chambers<br />
from the inlet to the outlet. Sealing<br />
from the discharge to the suction side is<br />
ensured by a gate seated on the rotor. This<br />
simple but powerful design makes sinusoi-<br />
dal pumps particularly suitable for use with<br />
high viscosities, easily managing up to eight<br />
million mPas.<br />
Thanks to extensive certification including<br />
EHEDG EL Class I Aseptic and 3A as<br />
well as fast and easy cleanability through<br />
using clean in place (CIP) and sterilisation<br />
in place (SIP) cleaning processes, the sine<br />
pump is the benchmark among positive<br />
displacement pumps in terms of hygiene.<br />
But the pump also offers considerable advantages<br />
over other pumps such as rotary<br />
lobe pumps when it comes to manual disassembly<br />
and cleaning.<br />
Due to the design principle with only<br />
one rotor, one shaft and one seal, the number<br />
of wetted parts is reduced to a minimum.<br />
Disassembly and cleaning are thus<br />
much easier and faster. In addition, the design<br />
offers considerable energy advantages<br />
over comparable positive displacement<br />
pumps and thus significantly lower energy<br />
consumption.<br />
Sine pumps are available in various sizes<br />
for flow rates of up to 255,000 l/h at a<br />
maximum pressure of up to 15 bar. Depending<br />
on the model, the pumps are selfdraining<br />
and self-priming. The pump can<br />
be used in aseptic processes, is bacteriaproof<br />
and requires no additional steam<br />
connections.<br />
Iris ® Diaphragm Control Valve<br />
Highly precise and energy saving<br />
control of flow rate through concentric<br />
Iris ® diaphragms. For aeration airflow<br />
control in WWTP’s and for gases or<br />
liquids in industry.<br />
SWISS ENGINEERED<br />
PUMPS SINCE 1947<br />
Switzerland<br />
Emile Egger & Cie SA<br />
Route de Neuchâtel 36<br />
2088 Cressier NE<br />
Phone +41 (0)32 758 71 11<br />
Germany<br />
Emile Egger & Co. GmbH<br />
Wattstrasse 28<br />
68199 Mannheim<br />
Phone +49 (0)621 84 213-0
Pumps and Systems<br />
Report<br />
Fig. 3.+3.1: Rotation of a sinusoidal rotor gently transfers the medium from the inlet<br />
to the outlet.<br />
DMG is also impressed by the easy<br />
disassembly and cleaning of the<br />
pump when changing products. The<br />
simple design with only one shaft<br />
and only one mechanical seal, which<br />
is particularly easy to access and dismantle,<br />
means that fewer parts are<br />
needed than with other pumps. This<br />
means that disassembly and reassembly<br />
only take about five minutes<br />
each. Mistakes are practically impossible<br />
thanks to the simple assembly.<br />
And maintenance is also very simple<br />
- even though no maintenance work<br />
has been necessary in more than<br />
nine months of operation.<br />
Thanks to the sine pump, the<br />
dental material company is prepared<br />
for steadily increasing production<br />
volumes and, if necessary, larger filling<br />
volumes for the innovative 3D<br />
printing solutions. “We have already<br />
carried out successful tests with<br />
higher filling volumes. Thanks to the<br />
sine pump's extensive certification,<br />
its outstanding performance and energy<br />
efficiency, its simple handling<br />
and the options for retrofitting cooling<br />
or heating elements to cope with<br />
temperature-sensitive media, we can<br />
be sure that our filling station will be<br />
future-proof for many years to<br />
come!” says the product technician<br />
enthusiastically.<br />
Disassembly and reassembly<br />
in just 5 minutes<br />
During an extensive test period, the<br />
Hamburg-based company was able to<br />
get an idea of the sine pump and its<br />
performance. “The sinusoidal principle<br />
really impressed us,” says the product<br />
technician. At 0.85 bar, the pump not<br />
only has more than enough suction capability<br />
for processing the highly viscous<br />
media, but also delivers the necessary<br />
reliability: The shear forces are<br />
extraordinarily low and any pulsation<br />
is almost undetectable, resulting in<br />
maximum accuracy at the filling valve.<br />
Watson-Marlow GmbH<br />
Rommerskirchen, Germany<br />
48 PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong>
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Trademarks displayed in this material, including but not limited to Grundfos, the Grundfos logo and “be think innovate” are<br />
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Pumps and Systems<br />
Report<br />
An optimal surface result<br />
For coating wood supplier relies on efficient<br />
double diaphragm pumps<br />
Olaf Beckmann<br />
In the wood coating industry the requirements<br />
are constantly increasing<br />
– process reliability as well as efficient<br />
and sustainable production<br />
are becoming more and more significant.<br />
In this regard, fluid pumps<br />
in coating equipment are a key factor,<br />
since precise surface results<br />
can be achieved with a double diaphragm<br />
pump and paints as well as<br />
varnishes can be used in a manner<br />
that is resource-friendly. The fact<br />
that an investment will be worthwhile<br />
over the long-term is evident<br />
in the example of engineered wood<br />
manufacturer EGGER Holzwerkstoffe<br />
GmbH at the Brilon site. The<br />
company invested in several double<br />
diaphragm pumps from Timmer<br />
GmbH. These pumps ensure highquality<br />
and uniform coatings, optimal<br />
processes and efficiency at the<br />
highest level.<br />
EGGER Holzwerkstoffe GmbH headquartered<br />
in the Austrian municipality<br />
St. Johann in Tirol is one of<br />
the largest and best-known manufacturers<br />
of engineered wood in Europe.<br />
The family company, which was<br />
founded in 1961, has approximately<br />
10,000 employees and produces<br />
engineered wood at 19 locations in<br />
nine countries with an annual production<br />
capacity of 8.8 million cubic<br />
meters. The product range includes<br />
chipboard, OSB-board, MDF-board<br />
and sawn timber for furniture manufacture<br />
and interior design, timber<br />
construction and for floors. Design<br />
requirements for living spaces<br />
and work spaces have become much<br />
more rigorous in recent years. To<br />
meet the needs of both processors<br />
and consumers, wood products must<br />
be visually and haptically impressive,<br />
as well as robust, durable and easy<br />
to maintain. In this regard the wood<br />
coating has particular significance because<br />
it ensures longevity and a flawless<br />
surface appearance. In addition,<br />
a production process with the utmost<br />
reliability that is resource-friendly<br />
and sustainable also plays an increasingly<br />
important role. To meet these<br />
requirements and in order to further<br />
optimise its own processes, the<br />
company invested in multiple fluid<br />
pumps.<br />
The coating of wood panels in<br />
painting lines involves various process<br />
steps. For pre-painting, first a<br />
primer is applied and hardened, before<br />
the wood material is sanded and<br />
enhanced with stylish decors and<br />
surfaces. The central component is<br />
the application roller that applies a<br />
medium on the engineered wood.<br />
The fluid pump ensures that a primer,<br />
a paint, a varnish or a base coat<br />
flows in between the application rollers<br />
from above. Because the previous<br />
pumps did not have the desired service<br />
life and due to the higher pulsation<br />
sometimes this caused a certain<br />
shadowing and bubbles on the wood<br />
Fig. 1: The modern double diaphragm<br />
pumps ensure high-quality coatings, optimal<br />
processes and efficiency at the highest<br />
level. (all photos Photo © : EGGER Group)<br />
Fig. 2: Due to the fast-switching times of<br />
the valve and the short stroke principle, the<br />
pump generates less pulsation so that the<br />
medium flows evenly through the application<br />
roller.<br />
surfaces, which required labour-intensive<br />
removal, the manufacturer of<br />
wood-based materials invested in the<br />
double diaphragm pumps from the<br />
pump manufacturer in Neuenkirchen.<br />
“For our second painting line, we<br />
needed pumps with process reliability<br />
that ensured an optimal surface<br />
result. Since several of the supplier’s<br />
pumps were being used successfully,<br />
we also trusted in its competence for<br />
our second line”, explains the woodbased<br />
materials company's coatings<br />
technologist. Today a total of 12<br />
pumps are used at the plant in Brilon.<br />
Efficient pump technology and a<br />
precise surface result<br />
With the supplier’s pump virtually all<br />
materials can be pumped. A great advantage<br />
offered by the double diaphragm<br />
pumps is the efficient technology;<br />
the solution has an extremely<br />
50 PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong>
Pumps and Systems<br />
Report<br />
low start-up pressure. Conventional<br />
market variants require a<br />
start-up pressure between 1.5<br />
and 2 bar for the pump to even<br />
run at all; the solution requires<br />
only 0.7 bar to operate reliably<br />
even at 1 bar pressure. This results<br />
in significant medium- and<br />
long-term energy savings as<br />
well as efficiency benefits: Compared<br />
to market competitors,<br />
the double diaphragm pump<br />
from the supplier consumes up<br />
to 50 percent less compressed<br />
air. This results from optimized<br />
air channels, the ceramic spool<br />
snap-action valve and the shortstroke<br />
principle. Another advantage<br />
is sustainable use of materials.<br />
For application rollers the<br />
pumps work in a circulating system:<br />
The medium is pumped between<br />
the application roller and<br />
the dosing roller, excess material<br />
runs back into the tank and is<br />
reused. Thanks to the circulation<br />
system there is no paint loss and<br />
the manufacturer of wood-based<br />
materials saves valuable material<br />
and it also saves costs.<br />
Moreover, the proven control<br />
valve technology developed<br />
by the pump manufacturer and<br />
used in its pumps, enables lower<br />
pulsation and this is incredibly<br />
important for wood coating<br />
processes: high pulsation often<br />
results in an uneven paint pattern<br />
that causes shadowing on<br />
the engineered wood. Due to<br />
the fast changeover time of the<br />
valve and the short-stroke principle<br />
the pump generates a lower<br />
pulsation, so that the medium<br />
flows uniformly through the roller<br />
in a fine stream. This means<br />
that even minimal quantities can<br />
be input into the process; this is<br />
not the case with conventional<br />
double diaphragm pumps. “For<br />
our customers it is particularly<br />
important that the surface of the<br />
wood always has the same appearance<br />
– with a uniform paint<br />
application, the same layer thickness<br />
and the same colour pattern.<br />
Consequently, the high reproducibility<br />
that the pumps<br />
make possible is critically important<br />
for us”, states the technologist.<br />
The supplier’s solution enables<br />
the company to achieve far<br />
less microfoam in the paint system<br />
which can lead to the formation<br />
of small air bubbles that<br />
impair the surface result. The advantage<br />
is that the use of an additive<br />
is omitted, which protects<br />
the entire tubing and the paint<br />
flow. Now you don’t have to add<br />
anything and can work without<br />
foam. Even with low-viscosity<br />
fluids or varnish, there are significantly<br />
fewer medium splashes,<br />
thanks to the pumps from the<br />
supplier in Neuenkirchen.<br />
Maximum process reliability<br />
and easy maintenance<br />
Furthermore, the possibility of<br />
pump standstill is excluded.<br />
This is ensured by a special, lowwear,<br />
ceramic latching valve.<br />
All valve plates in the heart of<br />
the pump are made of ceramics<br />
in conjunction with precisionground,<br />
high-performance plastics.<br />
This results in minimum<br />
wear in the valve itself. In addition,<br />
a short-stroke principle is<br />
used; the diaphragm executes<br />
shorter strokes and therefore<br />
it is subject to less wear. Also a<br />
flow monitor indicates when varnish<br />
is no longer being pumped<br />
– this is a customer-specific function<br />
that is a special feature for<br />
the wood-based panel manufacturer.<br />
This prevents dry-run of<br />
the application roller.<br />
Another advantage: The<br />
double diaphragm pumps are<br />
extremely easy to maintain and<br />
they are quite simply structured.<br />
Because the valve is separated<br />
from the medium, the<br />
diaphragms can be quickly replaced<br />
when performing maintenance<br />
without having to replace<br />
the air valve. Ball replacement<br />
and cleaning are also quite simple.<br />
If specific pumps must be inspected,<br />
they can be removed,<br />
i. e. dismounted, very quickly<br />
and very easily. The pumps are<br />
so easy to maintain that they<br />
sustainably increase the process<br />
efficiency in the production and<br />
thus reduce costs long-term.<br />
Pump convinces<br />
The surface coating of wood elements,<br />
for which the high-performance<br />
double diaphragm<br />
pumps are important components,<br />
quickly led to the desired<br />
results: The company was able<br />
to optimise the quality and the<br />
appearance of the coatings and<br />
use the efficiencies to save valuable<br />
resources. The pumps were<br />
optimally tailored to the process.<br />
The product quality and the minimal<br />
service and maintenance effort<br />
required for the pumps convinced<br />
and in addition the short<br />
delivery times, the service and<br />
reachability. With this modernisation<br />
of the painting lines the<br />
wood-based panel manufacturer<br />
and the pump manufacturer are<br />
laying the foundation for further<br />
collaboration that will be continued<br />
and expanded in the future.<br />
“We are constantly developing<br />
our capabilities as a company in<br />
the wood coating industry. Naturally<br />
more systems and pumps<br />
will be required”, says the technologist.<br />
The Author: Olaf Beckmann,<br />
Head of Marketing,<br />
Timmer GmbH, Neuenkirchen,<br />
Germany<br />
Pumps, motors and digital solutions for<br />
industrial applications<br />
With a complete range of powerful pump solutions based<br />
on centrifugal pumps or screw pumps, we ensure more<br />
efficiency, more safety and more performance.<br />
BRINKMANN PUMPEN | K.H. Brinkmann GmbH & Co. KG<br />
T +49 2392 5006-0 | sales@brinkmannpumps.de | www.brinkmannpumps.de
Vacuum technology<br />
Report<br />
Pre-cooling lettuces reliably, thanks to<br />
cutting-edge vacuum technology<br />
Jasmin Markanic<br />
Vacuum cooling for vegetables and<br />
leafy greens directly after harvesting<br />
is a common approach to cool<br />
these foodstuffs quickly and reliably,<br />
and thus guarantee highquality<br />
products over an extended<br />
storage period. To achieve proper<br />
cooling, the company Heekeren<br />
GbR has first started using the<br />
modern screw vacuum pump from<br />
Busch Vacuum Solutions to pre-cool<br />
iceberg lettuce. The benefits of this<br />
technology are manifold: The vacuum<br />
pump is frequency-controlled,<br />
enabling its output to be adjusted<br />
to actual demand, as well as reducing<br />
cooling times and energy consumption.<br />
Thanks to its oil-free operation,<br />
any water vapor suctioned<br />
into the vacuum pump cannot mix<br />
with the oil – which has an exceptionally<br />
positive effect on the required<br />
maintenance effort.<br />
the vacuum, any moisture in and on<br />
the lettuce starts to evaporate and is<br />
extracted from the chamber as water<br />
vapor. Because the water's aggregate<br />
state changes from liquid to gas,<br />
heat is removed from it, thus cooling<br />
the lettuce. Depending on the external<br />
temperature and quantity, this process<br />
lasts between 20 and 35 minutes.<br />
The benefit of this method is that,<br />
apart from quickly cooling the lettuces<br />
to 3 °C, it cools them from the inside<br />
out, which speeds up the process once<br />
again. What’s more, less moisture is<br />
lost than in conventional air cooling.<br />
After the required cooling temperature<br />
is reached, the vacuum chamber<br />
is ventilated, the lettuce is removed<br />
and then transported to a refrigerated<br />
warehouse for interim storage. The<br />
challenge for the vacuum technology<br />
here is that water vapor is also suctioned<br />
out of the vacuum chamber<br />
along with the air. For this reason, the<br />
mixture of air and water vapor is fed<br />
through a cold trap upstream from<br />
the vacuum pump. Here the air is<br />
cooled, condensing out the water vapor<br />
(Fig. 2). The aim of this process is<br />
to ensure that no water vapor makes<br />
its way into the downstream vacuum<br />
pump. Given the size of the vacuum<br />
Farmer Heekeren developed his business<br />
to specialize in the cultivation of<br />
iceberg lettuce. In the space of one<br />
season, the company produces over<br />
10 million heads of iceberg lettuce. It<br />
also cultivates other varieties of lettuce,<br />
including romaine. The majority<br />
of the lettuces are sold wholesale<br />
within Germany and eventually make<br />
their way to shoppers via discount<br />
stores and supermarket chains.<br />
To guarantee the longest possible<br />
shelf life without any losses in quality,<br />
the farmer has been relying on vacuum<br />
cooling for eight years already.<br />
As soon as they are harvested, the<br />
lettuces are put in crates, which are<br />
then placed on pallets and transported<br />
to the vacuum chamber (Fig. 1).<br />
The vacuum chamber is designed to<br />
hold eleven euro pallets stacked with<br />
lettuce crates, reaching a total height<br />
of almost three meters. Once loading<br />
via a roller conveyor is complete, the<br />
chamber is closed, and vacuum is applied.<br />
This means that the air is suctioned<br />
out of the chamber. Due to<br />
Fig. 1: The vacuum chamber has space for eleven pallets, which can be loaded up to almost<br />
three meters in height.<br />
Fig. 2: Principle of pre-cooling with vacuum: 1. vacuum chamber, 2. cold trap (condensor),<br />
3. vacuum pump.<br />
52 PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong>
Vacuum technology<br />
Report<br />
chamber at the farm, three parallel oillubricated<br />
rotary vane vacuum pumps<br />
were connected. With this setup, any<br />
water vapor that was not fully condensed<br />
out via the cold traps led to<br />
problems, as some of the water would<br />
mix together with the operating fluid<br />
oil in the vacuum pumps. As a result,<br />
more maintenance effort was needed<br />
due to oil and filter changes.<br />
In view of these circumstances,<br />
the farmer was looking for a way<br />
to improve his system. Working together<br />
with the supplier of the vacuum<br />
cooling system and the vacuum<br />
pump manufacturer from Maulburg,<br />
he found a solution. At the start of<br />
the harvesting season in April, a screw<br />
vacuum pump was installed so that it<br />
could be tested throughout the entire<br />
lettuce season. Because this type of<br />
vacuum pump does not require any oil<br />
lubrication in the compression chamber,<br />
there were no problems with water<br />
vapor. The pump ran for the entire<br />
season until the end of October without<br />
any disruptions. No maintenance<br />
work was needed. As such, there were<br />
no costs incurred by maintenance<br />
work or wearing parts. Since the pump<br />
is frequency-controlled, it adapts its<br />
pumping speed to actual demand. This<br />
means that, at the beginning of the<br />
vacuum chamber's evacuation phase,<br />
when as much air as possible needs to<br />
be quickly extracted, the motor runs<br />
at a high rotational speed. Once the<br />
pressure in the chamber drops, the<br />
Fig. 3: Screw vacuum pump<br />
vacuum pump automatically reduces<br />
its speed. This has the benefit that<br />
less energy is consumed than with an<br />
unregulated motor, which runs at full<br />
speed more or less the entire time. At<br />
50 Hertz with a nominal motor rating<br />
of 18.5 kilowatts, the screw vacuum<br />
pump needs less power than the rotary<br />
vane vacuum pump, which was<br />
driven by an unregulated 22-kilowatt<br />
motor. Control for the pump is connected<br />
to the overall system control.<br />
Once the operator has pressed the<br />
start button, the entire cooling process<br />
is completely automatic.<br />
Thanks to the demand-driven control,<br />
it was also possible to reduce<br />
cooling times. This means that the capacity<br />
of the vacuum cooling system<br />
was increased.<br />
For farmer Heekeren, it is the ideal<br />
vacuum pump for guaranteeing a long<br />
shelf and storage life for his lettuces,<br />
without any losses in quality.<br />
The Author: Jasmin Markanic,<br />
Global Press and Media Relations<br />
Busch Vacuum Solutions,<br />
Maulburg, Germany<br />
PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong><br />
53
Pumps/Vacuum technology<br />
Companies – Innovations – Products<br />
Reliable membrane filter press feed<br />
with compact diaphragm pumps at<br />
[k]nord GmbH<br />
[k]nord GmbH headquartered in Ganderkesee (Niedersachsen/Land<br />
of Lower Saxony) totals more than 35 years experience as a specialist<br />
in the development and implementation of innovative waste disposal<br />
technologies. Innovative services and products of this company allow a<br />
sustainable environment protection to be ensured. The range of activities<br />
of [k]nord GmbH includes waste disposal and environmental engineering,<br />
noise protection and logistics.<br />
The filling time and the pressing time take approx. 1 hour each. Consequently,<br />
after 2 hours, the filter cake has reached a solid content of up<br />
to 80 % and can be dumped into the container standing below the filter<br />
press. The weight of the filter cake amounts to approx. 2.7 t per batch.<br />
[k]nord GmbH is highly satisfied with the operation of the plant<br />
– it runs 24/7, entirely automatically and it is monitored with several<br />
cameras. Operating parameters can be both controlled and monitored<br />
directly on-site and via an app installed on a mobile phone.<br />
Next to the composting plant, there is a new, recently built, disposal<br />
plant for mineral and, in part, for organic drilling slurry as well: The<br />
drilling slurry with a solid content of 15-20% is brought to the plant<br />
in tank trucks from which it is pumped through a screening system<br />
(ensuring the separation of sand and stones) into 8 storage basins<br />
equipped with agitators. Each batch is analysed in the laboratory in order<br />
to determine the most suitable conditioning method for achieving<br />
the optimal filter cake.<br />
Fig. 3: Membrane filter press at [k]nord GmbH<br />
The use of ABEL CM pumps has quickly shown that the overall energy<br />
consumption of the plant was very low. According to [k]nord GmbH,<br />
20,000 tons slurry have been treated in 2020 with a power consumption<br />
of 22,000 kWh, this translates into a unit electricity consumption<br />
of 1.1 kWh/ton only!<br />
Fig. 1: Storage basins with agitators<br />
Dewatering with ABEL pumps and membrane filter presses<br />
In a 24/7 operation, 2 membrane filter presses are fed with 4 ABEL<br />
type CM-G-C262 compact diaphragm pumps (each pump delivers a<br />
flow rate of 10 m³/h). Before using ABEL CM pumps for this application,<br />
[k]nord GmbH tested a different type of pump which operated<br />
with a compressed air drive. However, the energy consumption of this<br />
pump turned out to be excessively high.<br />
CM pumps are in charge of filling the filter presses with abrasive<br />
slurries quickly and reliably/constantly. When the pressure of approx.<br />
8-9 bar is reached, the membrane filter presses take over from the<br />
pumps and continue the dewatering of the slurries until the pressure<br />
of approx. 13 bar is reached.<br />
Fig. 4: Fully automated plant monitoring<br />
The ABEL piston diaphragm pump is a crucial component for filter<br />
press feed. The advantages of ABEL pumps over other pump types are<br />
represented by:<br />
– a high wear resistance<br />
– a high robustness<br />
– very long maintenance intervals<br />
– a low energy consumption, which allows operating expenses of<br />
clients to be reduced<br />
Fig. 2: ABEL CM pumps<br />
ABEL GmbH<br />
Abel-Twiete 1<br />
21514 Büchen, Germany<br />
Phone +49 (0)4155 818-0<br />
abel-mail@idexcorp.com<br />
www.abelpumps.com<br />
54 PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong>
Pumps/Vacuum technology<br />
Companies – Innovations – Products<br />
New Plunger Pump Portfolio –<br />
pump programme more tightened,<br />
standardised and easier<br />
Technical changes in the pump programme implicate more power<br />
input, standardisation and simplification<br />
Panta rhei – Everything flows! Same at KAMAT! As the pump manufacturer<br />
from Witten puts it they actively used the Corona-time to<br />
work at full speed on the development of their pump programme, in<br />
order to achieve further standardisations and hydraulic revisions at<br />
their plunger pumps. Now, KAMAT proudly present their new performance<br />
list. The pump range with all its technical data is summarised<br />
in an overview on a two-sided data sheet. In addition, an overview<br />
of the new pump programme is also available in an 8-sided Plunger<br />
Pump Portfolio leaflet with a new design. „Reason for our new leaflet<br />
are a number of eager efforts in the developments of our systems,<br />
aiming and achieving a higher grade of standardisation, maximum input<br />
power and further, more simplification“, says chief engineer and<br />
Managing Director Dipl.-Ing. Jan Sprakel.<br />
Now, the last final details of the planned modifications and their realisation<br />
are successfully completed. “We have decided to summarise<br />
all technical changes preliminary in this overview leaflet file, which we<br />
have already published last year. To be up-to-date, herewith, we have<br />
uploaded the leaflet’s online-version for all who are interested. We hope<br />
that the portfolio‘s new look, design and format will suit every body and<br />
what is more important to us, that it will be helpful to everybody who is<br />
looking for the most suitable pump. Much more we are pleased about<br />
the occasion for designing and publishing the new brochure and this is<br />
the rapid development of our pump programme, with the goal, to minimise<br />
the danger of cavitation even further“, says Sprakel.<br />
More outline: From now on out of previous 13 pumps only 11<br />
remain in the performance list<br />
What has changed in detail: The pump programme has been tightened,<br />
unified and has become easier. Out of the previous 13 pump types in<br />
the performance list only 11 remained, with no losses but optimisation.<br />
The current M-Head has been omitted without the loss of versatility in<br />
the available options. The MCH-Head was re-named as M, because it<br />
replaces the old M-Head. The MC-Head becomes M2-Head. The new<br />
M-Head and M2-Head will be available in any performance level with<br />
plate valves and soft valves. With the changeover all heads were reengineered<br />
with the objective to achieve lower NPSH-values and thus<br />
avoiding cavitation. Furthermore the gear boxes have been revised,<br />
with higher performance inputs resulting in generally increased performance<br />
level.<br />
New conversion kits not needed, pump-heads smaller and<br />
lighter in weight from now on<br />
From now on the heads are smaller in their design size and thus lighter<br />
in weight. The good news: New conversion kits are not needed and<br />
all previous mounting parts still fit. According to the manufacturer the<br />
gear geometry and intersection stayed the same too. A1- and A2-Head<br />
remain the same, just with standardisation of the suction hoses. The<br />
benefit to the customer is next to flexibility very clearly the NPSH optimisation<br />
with lower values. Furthermore, in each design size there is<br />
the opportunity to customise the valve design size depending on the<br />
fluid distributed. The integrated oil coolers remain available for the<br />
mining industry.<br />
The changes at a glance:<br />
Pump Performance<br />
K40000-3G/400 kW -> Upgrade to K45000-3G/ up to 450 kW<br />
K50000-5G/530 kW -> Upgrade to K55000-5G/ up to 550 kW<br />
K80000-5G/800 kW -> Upgrade to K100000-5G/ up to 1000 kW = 1 MW<br />
K120000-5G/1200 kW -> Upgrade to K150000-5G/ up to 1500 kW = 1.5 MW<br />
Pump Heads (A- and M-Head)<br />
M-Head omitted<br />
MCH-Head becomes M-Head<br />
MC-Head becomes M2-Head<br />
Both heads can get either plate valves or soft sealing valves.<br />
A-Head<br />
M2-Head<br />
If there are any questions don’t hesitate to contact KAMAT. Readers<br />
may also refer to the company’s website (www.kamat.de) where all information<br />
is updated continuously. The new pump performance list is<br />
also available on the website. Please note the company’s revised and<br />
updated online pump finder: (https://www.kamat.de/en/pump-finder/<br />
pumpfinder.html)<br />
KAMAT GmbH & Co. KG<br />
Salinger Feld 10<br />
58454 Witten, Germany<br />
Phone +49 (0)2302 8903-0<br />
info@KAMAT.de<br />
www.KAMAT.de/en<br />
PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong><br />
55
Pumps/Vacuum technology<br />
Companies – Innovations – Products<br />
Configuration instead of programming:<br />
Intelligent pump control bplogic offers<br />
editor for logic operations<br />
The integration of a logic module offers customers new possibilities to<br />
extend the smart pump control with their own functions.<br />
With the presentation of the intelligent pump control, BRINKMANN<br />
PUMPS has made it clear that the future of the manufacturer of technically<br />
sophisticated coolant pumps is digital. With the development<br />
of the smart pump control bplogic, the traditional company from Werdohl<br />
in Germany has taken a decisive step towards Industry 4.0.<br />
The bplogic is connected between machine tools, pumps, filter<br />
systems and other components and adapts perfectly to the existing<br />
system environment – no matter which variable frequency drives are<br />
used. The digital controller impresses with its wide range of functions,<br />
including predictive maintenance and energy monitoring. For example,<br />
the digital controller can easily determine the degree of wear of pumps<br />
and make a prediction until the next service interval. As a result, disruptions<br />
are avoided and service planning can be derived in an uncomplicated<br />
manner. Another great advantage is the fast and convenient<br />
execution of an energy consumption analysis. The bplogic takes<br />
over the monitoring of all operating data of the connected pumps via<br />
long-term logging (incl. Excel CSV export) and includes operating hours<br />
counters and current consumption displays.<br />
Fig. 2: Intelligent average detection: If a maximum flow rate is exceeded, a pipe<br />
break is signaled and the pump is switched off.<br />
output signals can be logically operated. The implementation of time<br />
elements is possible as well as the output of customer-specific error<br />
messages in different languages. Of great value in practice is an implemented<br />
online debugger. It supports the verification of manufacturerspecific<br />
functions during commissioning.<br />
“When integrating the edit function on bplogic, our developers<br />
placed great emphasis on usability,” explains Jörg Neemann, Head of<br />
Sales and Marketing at BRINKMANN PUMPS. “The developers' goal was<br />
to make the configuration intuitive, simple and easy to use. We succeeded<br />
in doing that.” Newly created functions are stored directly on<br />
the bplogic. From now on, the smart controller takes over the complete<br />
control of newly added functions. From the customer's perspective,<br />
this opens up completely new possibilities: Adjustments can be<br />
made at any time. The implementation of own functions in existing systems<br />
and the associated protection of the know-how succeeds within<br />
shortest time. This upgrades plants and prepares them for new requirements<br />
in a future-proof manner.<br />
The further development of bplogic increases the user's scope of<br />
action and enables extensive flexibility. Thus, bplogic remains true to<br />
itself as an innovative and smart pump control.<br />
Fig.1: Description of a single logic function (Photos © : Brinkmann Pumpen)<br />
The latest generation of the smart pump controller now offers additional<br />
new possibilities. The bplogic allows users extensive freedom<br />
and the possibility to combine their own know-how with the known<br />
functions of the pump control without programming knowledge. The<br />
spectrum ranges from the control of individual contactors and warning<br />
lights, to procedures for detecting pipe breaks, to the complete automation<br />
of partial and small systems. The extended control functions<br />
are made possible by the integration of an editor for logic operations<br />
directly on the digital interface of the bplogic.<br />
Without PLC programming knowledge and own software development<br />
environments, users can realize manufacturer-specific functions<br />
with the logic module of bplogic. The configuration is done via the user<br />
interface of the intelligent pump control. There, all available variables<br />
such as pressures, speeds and all other digital and analog input and<br />
BRINKMANN PUMPEN<br />
K.H. Brinkmann GmbH & Co. KG<br />
Friedrichstr. 2<br />
58791 Werdohl, Germany<br />
Phone + 49 (0)2392 5006-0<br />
Fax + 49 (0)2392 5006-180<br />
kontakt@brinkmannpumps.de<br />
www.brinkmannpumps.de<br />
Eccentric screw pumps vs. compressed air diaphragm pumps<br />
More than a question of philosophy<br />
In addition to eccentric screw pumps, air-operated diaphragm pumps<br />
are also suitable for pumping highly viscous media. Which pumping<br />
principle ultimately convinces the customer depends not only on the<br />
customer’s own experience and preferences, but also in particular on<br />
the advantages of the respective design with regard to the specific<br />
application.<br />
56 PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong>
Pumps/Vacuum technology<br />
Companies – Innovations – Products<br />
Numerous companies in the bottling, manufacturing or packaging industry<br />
have to transfer viscous liquids from containers or machines<br />
quickly, cleanly and as precisely as possible. In addition to vertical or<br />
horizontal eccentric screw pumps, more and more compressed airdriven<br />
diaphragm pumps are being used for such applications.<br />
For many years, a manufacturing company in the food industry has<br />
been using several horizontal eccentric screw pumps of the type JP-<br />
700 HL 50 L, which have an EPDM stator and milk thread connections<br />
according to DN40-DIN11851 on the suction and pressure sides. At a<br />
speed of 350 rpm, the pumps deliver approx. 40 l/min. The customer<br />
used the eccentric screw pumps for all their liquid handling, with very<br />
different use cases. In addition to thin to viscous food oils, sugar solutions<br />
were also pumped.<br />
The principle of the eccentric screw pump has proven itself for many<br />
decades in the beverage and food industry as the most frequently<br />
used displacement pump for pumping viscous media. With this type<br />
of pump, a rotor (a screw conveyor made of stainless steel) rotates<br />
in an oscillating manner in a fixed stator, which in the food sector is<br />
made of elastomers such as EPDM or NBR or also the solid material<br />
PTFE. Due to the precisely matched, coiled geometry of the rotor and<br />
stator, the rotation of the rotor between the two components results<br />
in equally sized conveying chambers. The chamber volume is always<br />
identical and is shifted evenly from the suction side to the pressure<br />
side of the pump during the pumping process. Due to the arrangement<br />
of the rotor and stator, this pumping principle produces hardly any<br />
pulsation and there are also no major shearing forces on the medium<br />
to be pumped. The flow rate is proportional to the speed of the motor,<br />
whereby the speed cannot be selected at will, but depends on the material<br />
used for the stator as well as on the viscosity and abrasiveness of<br />
the pumped medium.<br />
Initially, the advantages of the eccentric screw pumps were of great<br />
importance for the customer’s purchase decision. Consistent, low-pulsation<br />
and gentle conveying is particularly advantageous in the food<br />
sector. In addition, the compact pumps of the 50L series have achieved<br />
a high flow rate of up to 100 l/min (at 900 rpm), which could be regulated<br />
at any time via a frequency converter. The pumps of the type JP-<br />
700 HL 50 L were also able to convey solids with a grain size of up to 8<br />
mm due to the free passage and guaranteed a very high dosing accuracy<br />
due to the constant chamber volume. It was also very important<br />
for the customer that the eccentric screw pumps were a very quiet type<br />
of pump and that the energy consumption was also low.<br />
In addition, eccentric screw pumps have a high pumping speed and<br />
are therefore self-priming even from a depth of 6–9 m. The conveying<br />
direction can also be changed very easily in order to empty the pumps<br />
at the end. Horizontal eccentric screw pumps were therefore the customer’s<br />
preferred type of pump for many years when viscous media<br />
had to be pumped around or conveyed to feed the bottling plants.<br />
Many years ago, the customer’s processes were very simple and the<br />
bottling processes were not very automated.<br />
Of course, in addition to numerous advantages, every pumping<br />
principle also always has disadvantages by virtue of the nature of the<br />
matter.<br />
Over time, the customer had to pump more and more media with<br />
a temperature of up to 100 °C and also some very abrasive media. It is<br />
obvious that the elastomers of the stator in particular expand from a<br />
medium temperature of 40–60 °C and that the rotor and stator could<br />
become jammed if you did not work with an undersized rotor, but it<br />
does again at room temperature of the medium at the expense of dosing<br />
accuracy. In addition, dry running had to be avoided when using eccentric<br />
screw pumps, since otherwise both the stator and the mechanical<br />
seal between the pump and the drive motor would be damaged.<br />
In addition, when feeding the filling plant, it had to be ensured that<br />
the eccentric screw pumps, which are positive displacement pumps<br />
with an outlet pressure of 6 bar, did not pump against the closed gate<br />
valve, as otherwise the pump and the filling plant could be damaged<br />
or the user could be injured. Even when conveying very abrasive media,<br />
increased wear was observed with certain media despite the low<br />
pump speed.<br />
Due to the fact that the processes in the company became more<br />
and more complex over the course of time and that a certain degree of<br />
automation also went hand in hand with an expansion of production,<br />
the customer tested diaphragm pumps once after a visit to our trade<br />
fair stand in order to have a comparison with the previous eccentric<br />
screw pumps.<br />
Like the screw pumps, the air-operated diaphragm pumps we supply,<br />
model JP-810.170 and 400 Food, are capable of being used for<br />
several hours at a time, and are also capable of pumping viscous media.<br />
Due to their construction, these pumps are self-priming like the eccentric<br />
screw pumps. The performance of the pump can be regulated<br />
very easily via the compressed air supply. The big advantage for the<br />
PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong><br />
57
Pumps/Vacuum technology<br />
Companies – Innovations – Products<br />
New CHEM-LZ series from WITTE<br />
customer in certain applications, however, is that they can also run dry<br />
and work against a closed valve, so that no dry-run protection or a bypass<br />
or pressure relief valve to switch off the pump has to be installed<br />
on site. Due to its design, a diaphragm pump has the property of stopping<br />
automatically as soon as a shut-off valve on the pressure side is<br />
closed. As soon as the valve is opened again, the pump starts up again.<br />
In addition to these obvious technical advantages, the following<br />
aspects were decisive for the customer’s decision to use eight compressed<br />
air-driven diaphragm pumps in addition to the four eccentric<br />
screw pumps:<br />
The test pumps supplied have proven to be very robust and, in<br />
special applications, could also be cleaned more easily and quickly<br />
than eccentric screw pumps, which is very important in the food industry.<br />
The higher operating costs to be expected due to the high compressed<br />
air consumption were not significant for our customer, since<br />
the pumps are only used sporadically and not in continuous operation.<br />
Also, in view of the significantly lower purchase price of the pumps and<br />
the expected repair costs, the energy consumption argument for these<br />
customer applications is not important.<br />
An aspect of compressed air-driven diaphragm pumps that should<br />
not be neglected is the noise caused by the escaping compressed air<br />
or by the mechanical movement of the pump (beating of the balls).<br />
When large 1.5” to 3” pumps work at a full 7 bar air pressure, it is often<br />
difficult to hold a conversation next to them. Despite the numerous<br />
advantages of diaphragm pumps, these pumps cannot be regarded<br />
as optimal for all applications, since in addition to an above-average<br />
level of noise pollution, high air consumption and strong pulsation<br />
must be expected.<br />
Ultimately, the decision for the “right” pump depends on many<br />
factors that often only the customer knows because of their different<br />
production processes. A purchase decision for the respective pump<br />
principle always depends primarily on the specific application, in addition<br />
to the basic advantages and disadvantages of the respective<br />
pump type.<br />
The new CHEM-LZ series, a drop-in replacement for Hermetic-LZ gear<br />
pumps. WITTE PUMPS & TECHNOLOGY GmbH now offers all users and<br />
operators of Hermetic-LZ- gear pumps an alternative solution. The LZ<br />
series discontinued by Hermetic in 2018 is still in operation in many<br />
plants. However, replacement pumps from the original manufacturer<br />
are no longer available, nor are spare parts.<br />
Repair and spare parts supply for defective pumps or wear parts<br />
is no longer guaranteed by Hermetic. WITTE PUMPS & TECHNOLOGY<br />
GmbH, with its more than 35 years of expertise in the gear pump business,<br />
has now taken on this field of application.<br />
WITTE now offers all users and customers an alternative pump.<br />
In agreement and cooperation with Hermetic, WITTE PUMPS & TECH-<br />
NONOLGY GmbH continues this series and takes over the design and<br />
manufacturing of the pumps under its own name CHEM-LZ. The pumps<br />
offered under the new name are absolutely identical in terms of dimensions,<br />
but are equipped with internal parts from the WITTE modular<br />
system. The user can thus easily exchange the pumps as drop-in replacement<br />
without having to modify the system and connections.<br />
The quality and grade of the pumps and components correspond<br />
to the WITTE standard. The pumps have exactly the same connection<br />
dimensions and the same technical equipment. The CHEM-LZ is offered<br />
with a single and a double mechanical seal, a magnetic coupling<br />
and the matching coupling connection.<br />
The advantage of this new series is that the internal parts come<br />
from the company's own modular system for the established chemical<br />
pumps of the CHEM series. Gear shafts and friction bearings are identical<br />
to those of the WITTE chemical pumps. This brings another advantage<br />
for the customer in terms of spare parts stocking. In the future,<br />
spare parts can be used for both pump types, provided the material<br />
pairing and size are identical.<br />
In the event of a replacement where a CHEM-LZ is no longer to<br />
be used, WITTE also offers a modification of its own CHEM series. The<br />
company specializes in customer-specific solutions for conveying tasks<br />
with gear pumps.<br />
Drop-in-replacement chemical pump of the CHEM-LZ series with magnetic coupling.<br />
JESSBERGER GmbH<br />
Jägerweg 5-7<br />
85521 Ottobrunn, Germany<br />
Phone +49 (0)89 6666 33-400<br />
Fax +49 (0)89 6666 33-411<br />
info@jesspumpen.de<br />
www.jesspumpen.de<br />
WITTE PUMPS & TECHNOLOGY GmbH<br />
Lise-Meitner-Allee 20<br />
25436 Tornesch, Germany<br />
Phone +49 (0)4120 70659-0<br />
Fax +49 04120 70659-49<br />
info@witte-pumps.de<br />
www.witte-pumps.com<br />
58 PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong>
Pumps/Vacuum technology<br />
Companies – Innovations – Products<br />
Intelligent pump systems<br />
Digital factory: Smart Monitoring<br />
tracks pump operation and provides<br />
operating figures<br />
The new monitoring system from LEWA lets operators sleep more<br />
soundly and makes pumps smart-factory-ready: In addition to detecting<br />
malfunctions and process deviations, Smart Monitoring also provides<br />
important key figures for the economic evaluation of the plant. LEWA<br />
provides additional support with operational analyses of the runtime<br />
data. Data sovereignty always lies with the operator.<br />
Fig. 2: The Smart Monitoring System is already cloud-ready and can be networked<br />
with other systems via the Microsoft Azure cloud.<br />
The continuous operation of pump systems in critical applications goes<br />
hand-in-hand with high expenditures for monitoring and maintenance.<br />
Recording plant operating parameters such as flow rate, temperature<br />
or pressure also often requires additional expensive and high-maintenance<br />
instrumentation. For this reason, LEWA GmbH, as a specialist<br />
for pump systems, has developed Smart Monitoring for its ecoflow<br />
and triplex models: A combination of sensors integrated into the<br />
pump and software-based evaluation provides the user with comprehensive<br />
information on the performance and condition of the pumps.<br />
Malfunctions and wear development are detected before they lead to<br />
unscheduled shutdown. This way, the service life of the pumps can be<br />
increased and maintenance can be planned more easily. LEWA also<br />
offers data analysis as a service. Here, customers not only receive a<br />
data-based assessment of the condition and operating efficiency of the<br />
pump, but also optimization recommendations for the entire system.<br />
More complex production processes require more pump know-how<br />
For reliable use of pumps and pump systems in everyday industrial applications,<br />
regular inspection of the units is absolutely essential. Wear<br />
and malfunctions must be detected before costly unplanned shutdowns<br />
occur. Time-consuming inspection rounds are thus the basis<br />
for repairs and maintenance work, but do not always capture all functional<br />
deviations. Because the requirements are increasing due to ever<br />
more complex production processes, the specific pump know-how of<br />
the operator is continuously decreasing. For these reasons, companies<br />
are turning to digital assistance systems to control and monitor the<br />
entire production line. But only if the plant components can also be<br />
integrated into these systems by means of interface integration and<br />
charac teristic value transmission, the step towards the smart factory –<br />
the digitized production facility – can be taken.<br />
Fig. 3: Thanks to the structure-borne sound characteristics, wear and tear on valves<br />
can even be detected before it becomes measurable in the flow rate of the system.<br />
Smart monitoring for networked pump monitoring<br />
To meet these challenges, LEWA GmbH, as a pump specialist with experience<br />
in critical applications, has developed a product for complete<br />
and networked pump monitoring: “Smart monitoring provides information<br />
about the performance and condition of the ecoflow and triplex<br />
metering and process diaphragm pumps based on up to 13,000<br />
sensor signals processed per second,” explains Sebastian Gatzhammer,<br />
Development Engineer at LEWA. “In the process, data on structure-borne<br />
noise, hydraulic pressure, temperature and angle of rotation<br />
is collected by multiple sensors and processed by our software to<br />
come up with meaningful key figures.”<br />
This system largely serves as a replacement for inspection rounds,<br />
since digital monitoring immediately detects wear and malfunctions on<br />
Fig. 1: The data is transferred via standardized interfaces such as OPC UA to process control systems for data acquisition and visualization. (Photos © LEWA GmbH)<br />
PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong><br />
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Pumps/Vacuum technology<br />
Companies – Innovations – Products<br />
Fig. 4: The measured values come from a structure-borne sound transmitter<br />
located on the pump body, a pressure transmitter connected to a pressure<br />
measuring bore, and a rotary encoder adapted either directly via the crank shaft<br />
or the engine. Here you can see the pressure transmitter.<br />
30 different diagnoses,<br />
volume flow measurement without additional instrumentation<br />
However, detailed monitoring also results in other advantages such<br />
as better planning of maintenance intervals. The plant control center<br />
learns of any functional deviation in real time so that maintenance<br />
can be planned in advance and carried out in a controlled manner. In<br />
potentially explosive working areas, this also means a significant increase<br />
in safety: “Possible accidents are prevented and overall plant<br />
avail ability increases significantly,” reports Gatzhammer. “By monitoring<br />
up to 30 different diagnoses, the technical management always has<br />
an overview.” This was possible because the Smart Monitoring System<br />
is the product of more than 60 years of LEWA's pump expertise. “With<br />
the interaction of sensors and hardware, we can detect as little as a<br />
one percent drop in flow rate in each pump head,” Gatzhammer said.<br />
“But thanks to the structure-borne sound characteristics, we even detect<br />
signs of wear on valves at a very early stage, before they even become<br />
measurable in the flow rate of the system.”<br />
Added value through data analyses –<br />
data sovereignty with the operator<br />
LEWA offers data analysis for the smart monitoring systems. “We analyze<br />
and evaluate the operational data that a system has collected over<br />
a period of time. This allows us to do more than just provide the customer<br />
with data-based recommendations for maintenance planning<br />
based on wear patterns. The overall plant efficiency can also be optimized<br />
in this way,” explains Gatzhammer. The data is transferred via<br />
standardized interfaces such as OPC UA to process control systems for<br />
data acquisition and visualization. In addition, the Smart Monitoring<br />
System is already cloud-ready and can be networked with other systems<br />
via the Microsoft Azure cloud. However, this decision – and thus<br />
also the data sovereignty – always lies with the operator.<br />
After successful completion of the pilot phase, the LEWA Smart<br />
Monitoring was launched in mid October 2021.<br />
LEWA GmbH<br />
Ulmer Str. 10<br />
71229 Leonberg, Germany<br />
Phone +49 (0)7152 14-0<br />
Fax +49 (0)7152 14-1303<br />
lewa@lewa.de<br />
www.lewa.de<br />
Application areas for high-pressure<br />
pumps that span the globe<br />
Fig. 5: Smart Monitoring provides information on the performance and condition<br />
of the ecoflow and triplex metering and process diaphragm pumps based on up<br />
to 13,000 values processed per second.<br />
both the fluid and hydraulic sides and reports them to a process control<br />
system at the operator via the interface. “This means that around<br />
90 percent of malfunctions can be detected at an early stage: for example,<br />
overpressure in the hydraulics, worn plunger rings or incorrect<br />
closing behavior of valves,” says Gatzhammer. Faults in the entire system<br />
beyond the LEWA unit are also measured indirectly. “We can use<br />
the pump data to interpret changes in the condition of the pumped<br />
fluid, possibly due to contamination,” Gatzhammer adds.<br />
The globe: the symbol for global, world-spanning activities. The images<br />
contained on this globe show the most diverse areas of application in<br />
which high-pressure pumps are used: Whether power generation, municipal<br />
technology, chemical, food or heavy industry – whether process<br />
technology or high-pressure cleaning – you will also find topics of your<br />
industry in this illustration. Take a close look and find out what is relevant<br />
for you.<br />
It is precisely this colorful abundance that reflects the spectrum of applications<br />
for high-pressure pumps. A picture spanning the world and<br />
URACA shows the diverse tasks and application areas at a glance and<br />
stands for the mission and the entire portfolio of URACA: At your ser-<br />
60 PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong>
Pumps/Vacuum technology<br />
Companies – Innovations – Products<br />
vice around the globe – worldwide active in all relevant disciplines and<br />
industries. From project planning to service. These are the basic ideas<br />
what URACA stands for in connection with high pressure technology.<br />
pending on the container size. The energy input is limited to the short,<br />
time-limited phases of pressure build-up; no significant pump power is<br />
required for all other phases.<br />
A DP724 pump unit is used for cyclic pressure testing. The heart of<br />
the system is a high-pressure plunger pump of type KD724, driven by a<br />
frequency-controlled electric motor. The unit is able to display a sinuslike<br />
pressure curve and – depending on the medium – delivers reproducible<br />
results for up to 150,000 test cycles. The pressure can be flexibly<br />
adjusted up to 1,300 bar. By means of a valve station installed in the<br />
unit, the required pressure increase and pressure decrease curves are<br />
realized. In addition to the unit, the complete system includes a water<br />
tank with booster pump for independent supply and a recooling system<br />
for the test medium used in the closed circuit. Installed in a soundinsulated<br />
container, the pressure test unit can be used flexibly. The<br />
electrical control system, which can be integrated into the operator's<br />
system, allows individual and flexible setting of the test parameters.<br />
Fig. 1: Application diversity of URACA products around the globe<br />
Two current examples illustrate the individuality and range of possible<br />
applications of high-pressure pumps.<br />
Initially, the focus will be on an industrial project from the current thematic<br />
world around the topic of mobility, in particular hydrogen: Gas<br />
tanks for the automotive industry are usually operated with a filling<br />
pressure of about 700 bar. Since these – like any other fuel tank – are<br />
to be refilled countless times, it is important within the scope of quality<br />
testing to ensure the property of pressure resistance with sufficient<br />
test cycles. For this purpose, special pressure test units are used which,<br />
by means of the reproducibility of the results over a large number of<br />
test cycles, make it possible to demonstrate the pressure resistance<br />
and thus the safety of the tanks in continuous use on exemplary tests<br />
for the respective production batches.<br />
Cyclic pressure testing is economically and ecologically advantageous<br />
for the tank manufacturer, since the average power consumption<br />
of these systems is only about 50 percent compared to other technical<br />
solutions, such as a system with a pressure converter.<br />
The cycle test describes an increasing, thresholding pressure load<br />
on the test object between a variably adjustable upper and lower<br />
limit. The set pressure is approached reproducibly with a tolerance<br />
of ±10 bar at maximum pressure and ±5 bar at minimum pressure.<br />
Shortly before reaching the set maximum value, the pressure increase<br />
rate is adjusted to achieve the sinusoidal characteristic. The pressure is<br />
held in the range of the maximum value. After a freely definable holding<br />
time, the pressure is reduced again via the relief time, which can<br />
also be set, and is also held for a certain time after the lower pressure<br />
level has been reached. Holding time and pressure relief can be defined<br />
in 0.1 second increments. The system reaches a maximum pressure<br />
of P max<br />
= 1,300 bar, while the minimum pressure can be set to<br />
P min<br />
= 10 bar. A total of 50,000 - 150,000 cycles per test object are run,<br />
whereby the maximum number is limited to 10 cycles per minute de-<br />
Fig. 2: High pressure pump unit KD724E for cyclic pressure testing<br />
Fig. 3: Flexible applicable pump unit as container design<br />
Key data at a glance<br />
Test pressure max.:<br />
1,300 bar<br />
Test pressure min.:<br />
10 bar<br />
Plant power:<br />
110 kW<br />
Number of test cycles: 50,000 – 150,000<br />
Pressure curve per cycle: Sinusoidal<br />
Test medium:<br />
Water<br />
PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong><br />
61
Pumps/Vacuum technology<br />
Companies – Innovations – Products<br />
A second example from the field of new, climate-friendly energy sources<br />
is the production of biodiesel: a fuel with many challenges.<br />
High-pressure pumps make an essential contribution towards the<br />
production of these environmentally friendly fuels. Biodiesel or fatty<br />
acid methyl ester (FAME) is a fuel that is equivalent in use to mineral<br />
diesel fuel. The chemical industry obtains biodiesel by transesterifying<br />
vegetable or animal fats and oils with monohydric alcohols such<br />
as methanol or ethanol. During production, the fatty acids contained<br />
in the oil are split off from the glycerol with the aid of a catalyst and<br />
chemically converted with methanol, i. e. esterified. In various steps,<br />
this process produces the fuel “biodiesel” as the main product and the<br />
by-product “glycerol”, which is used as a food additive and in medicine.<br />
The methanol is recycled back into the reactor.<br />
Fig. 5: Plunger pump P5-85 for the process industry<br />
Fig. 4: Electrically driven pump unit for the production of biodiesel<br />
In today's industrial, patented processes, so-called supercritical processes,<br />
various reactions take place simultaneously and within a few<br />
minutes. They achieve maximum yield and, thanks to the special process<br />
parameters, no longer require catalysts. For this purpose, highpressure<br />
pumps are used to pump methanol and fatty acids against<br />
high pressures. Depending on the production plant, pump capacities<br />
of up to several hundred kilowatts are required for these applications.<br />
The particular challenges for the high-pressure pumps lie in the properties<br />
of the pumped media: methanol, for example, has hardly any lubricating<br />
properties, while other media tend to crystallize early, which<br />
can severely disrupt pump operation and lead to reduced service lives.<br />
Local conditions, such as use in hazardous areas or particularly high<br />
or low temperatures, also place enormous challenges on the pump<br />
units and thus on their manufacturers. Compliance with local regulations,<br />
standards and certificates round off the requirement profile for<br />
the pump supplier.<br />
The many years of experience, the high level of expertise and the<br />
design refinements therefore characterize the robust and long-lasting<br />
pumps from URACA to the satisfaction of the customers.<br />
With an increasing variety of applications and growing requirements,<br />
the development of new products is of elementary importance.<br />
Based on this motivation, URACA has added compact pumps to the<br />
power ranges of 700 kW and 1200 kW with the two new pump types<br />
P3-85 and P5-85 and created a new pump series in the upper range.<br />
This adds two extremely compact plunger pumps to the product<br />
portfolio, the main features of which are their short design as well as<br />
the integrated gearbox. With a stroke of 100 mm and a rod load of<br />
280 kN, the average piston speed can be kept relatively low. The Px-85<br />
series enables an increase in performance compared to long-stroke<br />
machines of corresponding performance classes while at the same<br />
time complying with the API 674 limitation on average piston speed.<br />
The short design, the elimination of external gears and the simultaneous<br />
optimization of performance with respect to comparable gearless<br />
types enormously expand the range of applications to the benefit<br />
of the user. As a result, not only can several pumps be replaced by one<br />
in individual cases, the new series also opens up areas of application<br />
that previously had to be served by long-stroke and very slow-running<br />
types. In addition to saving space, these possibilities also lead to a reduction<br />
in costs compared to the complete ensemble with gearbox,<br />
converter and similar additional units.<br />
Key data at a glance: P3-85 P5-85<br />
Power P max<br />
700 kW 1,200 kW<br />
Stroke<br />
100 mm<br />
Rod load<br />
280 kN<br />
Flow rates up to approx. 2,100 l/min 3,500 l/min<br />
Gearbox<br />
integrated or with long shaft<br />
Just like the design of the new P3-19 high-pressure pump, its inner values<br />
are equally impressive. Powerful, lightweight, reliable and technically<br />
up to date in the usual high quality – this is how the new high-<br />
Fig. 6: High-pressure plunger pump P3-19 for high-pressure cleaning applications<br />
62 PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong>
Pumps/Vacuum technology<br />
Companies – Innovations – Products<br />
pressure pump in the 80 kW level presents itself to its future users.<br />
With its compact design, it opens up a wide range of applications. As<br />
the European market leader for sewer flushing pumps, URACA attaches<br />
particular importance to high power density and the longest possible<br />
running times with robust operation of the pumps. The wide acceptance<br />
therefore is due to this fact and the high reliability.<br />
Decades of experience in the development and construction of<br />
high-pressure plunger pumps, state-of-the-art technology and highest<br />
manufacturing quality with maximum vertical integration have made<br />
URACA a leading company in the industry. The newly developed highpressure<br />
pumps are continuing this successful course.<br />
URACA GmbH & Co. KG<br />
Sirchinger Str. 15<br />
72574 Bad Urach, Germany<br />
Phone +49 (0)7125 133-0<br />
Fax +49 (0)7125 133-202<br />
info@uraca.de<br />
www.uraca.de<br />
Reducing production downtimes with<br />
OTTO digital services by Busch<br />
Production downtime is a big and expensive problem for factories and<br />
needs to be prevented. Intelligent IoT solutions can help to reduce<br />
production downtime and to save a lot of money. OTTO is the digital<br />
service innovation by Busch Vacuum Solutions. It combines condition<br />
monitoring of vacuum pumps with attractive service packages. For<br />
high process reliability and less cost of ownership in factories.<br />
The Busch IoT Dashboard and the Busch Vacuum App track vacuum<br />
pump data permanently. With the information at hand, the performance<br />
can be analyzed, and processes optimized. Busch installs a<br />
proprietary sensor package at the vacuum pumps, which collects and<br />
processes data. The data is stored in the Busch cloud via a mobile con-<br />
nection. The IoT box constantly monitors process state and vacuum<br />
pump conditions. For example, the ambient temperature, oil temperature<br />
and the remaining time until the next maintenance of the vacuum<br />
pump. The IoT dashboard provides all collected performance data<br />
24/7. The data is interpreted, and performance trends are shown. To<br />
optimize the production, Busch is providing a summarizing report as<br />
well as recommendations for more efficient operation. Based on data<br />
analysis, Busch is taking care of preventive maintenance and sends a<br />
service technician if needed.<br />
OTTO digital services by Busch come in three different packages<br />
tailored to the needs of the customer. Whether the customer wants to<br />
take care of the monitoring himself or wants Busch to take the lead.<br />
The suitable OTTO package detects appearing problems before they<br />
become a real problem. Risks and costs associated with unplanned<br />
downtimes are avoided and lead to optimum process reliability and<br />
higher productivity in factories. Even already installed vacuum pumps<br />
can be retrofitted with the Busch IoT kit.<br />
Busch Vacuum Solutions<br />
Schauinslandstr. 1<br />
79689 Maulburg, Germany<br />
Phone +49 (0)7622 681-0<br />
Fax +49 (0)7622 5484<br />
info@busch.de<br />
www.buschvacuum.com<br />
Qdos CWT pump delivers major advance<br />
in long-life chemical metering<br />
Watson-Marlow Fluid <strong>Technology</strong> Group (WMFTG) is unveiling the next<br />
performance level in its range of industry-leading Qdos chemical metering<br />
pumps. Qdos ® Conveying Wave <strong>Technology</strong> (CWT) extends the<br />
capabilities of peristaltic pump technology with its unique Fluid Contact<br />
Element. This innovative assembly is subjected to very low stress<br />
levels. Thus, Qdos CWT pump offers longer service life than traditional<br />
tube-based designs combined with superior accuracy in chemical<br />
metering and dosing tasks, and the elimination of expensive ancillary<br />
equipment. This makes Qdos CWT an ideal solution for a large variety<br />
of chemical metering and dosing tasks, for example in water treatment<br />
applications.<br />
Qdos ® CWT pumps do not achieve their peristaltic action by operating<br />
a traditional tubing but by an unique assembly, the “Fluid Contact<br />
Element”. It combines an EPDM element rather than a tube, which acts<br />
against a PEEK track. The fluid is contained between the EPDM element<br />
and the PEEK track, and the rotation of an eccentric rotor displaces the<br />
fluid forward.<br />
In effect, the Fluid Contact Element offers the same basic function<br />
as the tube of a conventional peristaltic pump. As well as the elimination<br />
of vapour locking, the element delivers stable, reliable performance,<br />
even with fluctuations in ambient temperature and pressure.<br />
Furthermore, the robust mechanical design provides consistently high<br />
accuracy for the life of the pump.<br />
Fig.: The new OTTO digital services by Busch Vacuum Solutions reduce production<br />
downtimes.<br />
Longer service life<br />
The fluid contact element is subjected to very low stress levels, meaning<br />
the Qdos CWT pump will deliver significantly longer service life than<br />
PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong><br />
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Pumps/Vacuum technology<br />
Companies – Innovations – Products<br />
a traditional pump. Qdos CWT pumps offer outstanding chemical dosing<br />
accuracy in water treatment applications. The pumps introduce<br />
chemicals – including sodium hypochlorite for post-chlorination cycles<br />
– without the need to overdose, thus delivering consistently high accuracy<br />
for the life of the pump.<br />
Positive user feedback<br />
Among the pilot sites able to provide testimony is the San Luis Rey<br />
Water Reclamation Facility in Oceanside, California. The facility, which<br />
collects, treats and disposes of all of the city's sewage, favours the use<br />
of peristaltic pumps over diaphragm pumps for their ability to handle<br />
off gassing chemicals such as sodium hypochlorite.<br />
The installation of the Qdos CWT pump has enabled the site’s engineers<br />
to use peristaltic technology in an application where pressure<br />
spikes and off gassing affected more traditional pump types. Since<br />
installation the San Luis Rey facility has experienced a significant increase<br />
in pump life.<br />
The sealed CWT pumphead – which delivers accurate, linear and<br />
repeatable flow – is also highly safe as it minimises operator exposure<br />
to chemicals, while changeover is possible in less than a minute without<br />
the need for tools. Qdos CWT users can gain from further operational<br />
and environmental safety through leak detection software, failure<br />
alarms and fluid recovery capabilities that avoid chemical waste.<br />
user feedback that CWT will help to deliver operational efficiencies to a<br />
wide range of users. We look forward to introducing more of our customers<br />
to its benefits.”<br />
Like all pumps in the range, the Qdos CWT is available in a number<br />
of variants that provide different levels of control, from Manual, Remote<br />
and PROFIBUS, through to Universal (automatic and manual control)<br />
and Universal+ (automatic and manual control with configurable<br />
4-20 mA input and output).<br />
The new Qdos CWT range offers flow rates from 0.1 to 500 ml/min,<br />
and up to 7 bar RMS pressure. Flow control is up to 5000:1 with ±1 %<br />
accuracy. To ensure suitability for industrial environments, the Qdos<br />
CWT features an IP66 NEMA 4X rated casing. A three year warranty is<br />
standard.<br />
Launching Qdos CWT for chemical metering in the industrial sector<br />
marks only the beginning, as plans are already afoot to help a myriad<br />
of other applications enjoy the benefits available.<br />
Watson-Marlow GmbH<br />
Kurt-Alder-Str. 1<br />
41569 Rommerskirchen, Germany<br />
Phone +49 (0)2183 42040<br />
Fax +49 (0)2183 82592<br />
info@wmftg.de<br />
www.wmftg.de<br />
Robust rotary lobe pumps<br />
for demanding media<br />
Highly efficient and proven pumping technology<br />
Usability and control<br />
From a usability perspective, the pump features a high-visibility keypad<br />
and TFT display, along with direct connectivity capability to a range of<br />
external monitoring systems.<br />
“This is an exciting launch for us,” says Martin Johnston Strategic<br />
Business Development Director at WMFTG. “Qdos CWT is the next level<br />
in high performance for our industry leading Qdos ® range of chemical<br />
metering pumps. Our objective was to design a technology that<br />
delivers all the benefits of a traditional pump but with significantly<br />
longer service life than traditional tube designs. It’s clear from early<br />
Industrial processes often require the pumping and transport of demanding<br />
liquids. Therefore, robust and reliable pump systems are essential.<br />
They come into direct contact with media and play an important<br />
role in a variety of production processes. For extreme conditions,<br />
such as use in potentially explosive environments or pumping chemically<br />
aggressive and hot media, pumps must meet special industryspecific<br />
specifications and standards.<br />
Vogelsang GmbH & Co. KG from Essen (Oldenburg) is launching two<br />
new pump series to meet the high demands of industrial use: The EP<br />
series and VY series. The rotary lobe pumps of both series are made<br />
of a flow-optimized one-piece housing and are therefore particularly<br />
efficient. They reliably convey thin-bodied as well as highly viscous,<br />
64 PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong>
Pumps/Vacuum technology<br />
Companies – Innovations – Products<br />
pure and solids-containing media at temperatures of up to 200 °C. The<br />
pumps are ATEX and TA-Luft compliant and thus suited for use in highly<br />
demanding areas such as the oil, gas and chemical industries.<br />
Thanks to increased efficiency and added seal versatility, Vogelsang<br />
is able to open up new areas of application for its proven pump<br />
technology. As the inventor of the elastomer-coated rotary lobe pump<br />
in 1970, Vogelsang has been for decades one of the world's leading<br />
companies in the field of pumps.<br />
rates the gearbox and the pump chamber, ensuring that in the event<br />
of a leak, liquid will drain out rather than entering the gearbox. The Air-<br />
Gap also protects the gearbox when pumping hot media.<br />
Seal versatility for increased flexibility<br />
A variety of different sealing systems can be used in the housing of the<br />
new pump series depending on the industry-specific standard and requirement.<br />
In addition to the Vogelsang Quality-Cartridge, a completely<br />
pre-assembled mechanical seal in a cartridge design, further special<br />
mechanical seals are available for the EP and VY series. Vogelsang<br />
worked with leading manufactures to develop this CoX-Cartridge and<br />
offer the right solution for a variety of applications, from use in oil and<br />
sugar production, to conveying hot, chemically demanding media or latex<br />
paints. The seal's robust design also makes it suited for high-pressure<br />
use. The new pump series can also be equipped with mechanical<br />
seals according to API 682 if required.<br />
Fig. 2: Exploded view EP series: A high-performance gearbox allows for a maximum<br />
pressure output of up to 18 bar.<br />
VY series: A highly efficient all-rounder<br />
VY series rotary lobe pumps are based on Vogelsang's proven VX series.<br />
Different seals can be used in a variety of ways in the new housing<br />
depending on industry-specific standards and requirements. The<br />
versatility of the VY series makes it suitable for use in the chemical industry,<br />
as well as in the paper and textile sectors. The performance<br />
spectrum ranges from 1 m³/h to 120 m³/h at a maximum pressure of<br />
10 bar. Integrated sensors provide all-important information about the<br />
pump's operating status. The VY series is also available with axial and<br />
radial wear protection for media with abrasive components.<br />
Fig. 1: The versatility of Vogelsang's new pump series makes them suitable for a<br />
wide range of applications.<br />
The EP series for extreme conditions and<br />
high-pressure performance<br />
The EP series is designed for extreme conditions and permanently<br />
high pressures. Its high-performance gearbox allows for a constant<br />
pressure output of up to 18 bar, making it unique on the market today.<br />
The pumps of the EP series consist of a one-piece housing made<br />
from either cast iron or stainless steel. Helical gears in the gearbox ensure<br />
smooth performance and reduce noise emissions. Pulsation-free<br />
transferring reduces wear on the adjacent pipeline to a minimum. The<br />
performance spectrum ranges from 1 m³/h to 120 m³/h at a maximum<br />
pressure of 18 bar. The free ball passage is 40 mm. The high-pressure<br />
performance and temperature limit of 200 °C along with its seal versatility<br />
make the EP Series suitable for applications for which companies<br />
previously used screw, gear and progressing cavity pumps. These<br />
include the oil and gas sector, tank farms, the petrochemical industry<br />
and the production of paints and varnishes, paper, glue and sugar. Rotary<br />
lobe pumps save more space and are more energy-efficient and<br />
service-friendly than other positive displacement pumps.<br />
Vogelsang has additionally equipped its EP series with an AirGap<br />
for increased operational reliability. This gap atmospherically sepa-<br />
Fig. 3: The performance spectrum of the VY series ranges from 1 m³/h to 120 m³/h<br />
at a maximum pressure of 10 bar.<br />
Service-friendly assembly and cleaning<br />
For increased ease of service, both pump series feature a quick connection<br />
in addition to a variety of seal options. Thanks to this, pipelines<br />
can be connected to pumps in a matter of minutes, thus minimising<br />
time, effort and costs for installation and conversion. Maintaining the<br />
pumps is also quick and easy. The Quick-Service cover allows access to<br />
all internal components. As a result wear parts can be replaced quickly<br />
without removing the pump from the pipeline. When designing the EP<br />
and VY series pumps, our engineers placed significant importance on<br />
easy cleaning. The pumps can be rinsed and disinfected according to<br />
PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong><br />
65
Pumps/Vacuum technology<br />
Companies – Innovations – Products<br />
the CIP (Cleaning in Place) and SIP (Sterilisation in Place) cleaning procedures.<br />
The housing design also reduces dead space to a minimum,<br />
thus preventing liquids from accumulating in gaps or uneven surfaces.<br />
The EP and VY series offer industrial companies a highly efficient,<br />
flow-optimised and service-friendly pump technology suited for a wide<br />
range of demanding applications.<br />
Vogelsang GmbH & Co. KG<br />
Holthoege 10-14<br />
49632 Essen (Oldenburg), Germany<br />
Phone +49 (0)5434 83-0<br />
germany@vogelsang.info<br />
www.vogelsang.info<br />
From positive displacement pump system provider to specialist<br />
for handling complex media:<br />
NETZSCH Pumps & Systems<br />
enters the peristaltic market with<br />
the PERIPRO pump<br />
NETZSCH Pumps & Systems, the internationally active pump manufacturer<br />
from Bavaria, expands its positive displacement pump offering<br />
with the PERIPRO peristaltic pump. The PERIPRO ® peristaltic pump<br />
delivers large flow rates at a wide range of pressures. This means that<br />
the system provider for positive displacement pumps is now establishing<br />
itself as a specialist for pumping complex and difficult media.<br />
90 % less lubricant than other peristaltic pumps and enable an extremely<br />
high metering accuracy. Depending on the field of application,<br />
the PERIPRO is offered in different versions to optimally cover the<br />
needs of customers.<br />
NETZSCH Pumpen & Systeme GmbH<br />
Geretsrieder Str. 1<br />
84478 Waldkraiburg, Germany<br />
Phone +49 (0)8638 63-0<br />
pr.nps@netzsch.com<br />
www.pumpen.netzsch.com<br />
Cost savings and increased<br />
availability by using magnetic coupled<br />
twin screw pumps<br />
Industry:<br />
<strong>Process</strong>:<br />
Product:<br />
Refinery<br />
Storage and loading facility<br />
Bitumen/Asphalt<br />
Application: Circulation, transfer & loading<br />
Solution:<br />
Location:<br />
The job<br />
Twin screw pump with magnet drive<br />
France<br />
The customer, a large refinery in France, was looking to extend its<br />
Bitumen handling capabilities by building a new Bitumen storage and<br />
loading facility. Existing installations utilized screw pumps from various<br />
manufactures. Shaft sealing was done with mechanical seals or gland<br />
packing, both with steam quench. Main objectives of the new project<br />
were to improve availability of the pumps and to substantially reduce<br />
OPEX, especially those associated with maintenance. Additionally, the<br />
solution should be up to date in regards to current and foreseeable<br />
health and safety and environmental regulations. Klaus Union provided<br />
engineering and technical studies, comparing different solutions for<br />
the customer’s application.<br />
The PERIPRO peristaltic pumps from NETZSCH in hygienic design or also<br />
in industrial design<br />
The PERIPRO expands the NETZSCH pump portfolio with its characteristics<br />
as particularly robust and powerful pump that can easily handle<br />
viscous and abrasive media even at high pressures. These pumps have<br />
a long operating life, are easy to use, and enable 30 % energy savings as<br />
compared to other hose pumps due to their inventive design.<br />
These peristaltic pumps have very few wear parts. There are no<br />
valves or mechanical seals; the only wear part is the hose, characterized<br />
by remarkable durability due to an innovative manufacturing process.<br />
In addition, the pumps are insensitive to dry running, require<br />
Operating data<br />
Fluid:<br />
Bitumen/Aspahlt<br />
Flow Rate:<br />
135 m³/h (594 gpm)<br />
Temperature: 140 ... 180 °C (284 ... 356 °F)<br />
Differential Pressure: 12 bar (174 psi)<br />
66 PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong>
Pumps/Vacuum technology<br />
Companies – Innovations – Products<br />
Dynamic Viscosity: 104 ... 855 cP<br />
Kinematic Viscosity: 110 ... 900 mm²/s<br />
Specific Gravity: 0,95<br />
NPSH(A):<br />
4,9 m (16 ft)<br />
The solution<br />
SLM DSP-2CO 154B-208-25P14 Q2 Z H24<br />
SLM: Sealless Mag Drive<br />
DSP-2: Single Volute Twin Screw Pump<br />
C: Cartridge Design<br />
O: Oil Lubricated Bearing Support<br />
154: Outer Diameter of Drive Rotor (approx. 6“)<br />
B: Axial Split Modular Casing<br />
208: Pitch of Main Drive Rotor (approx. 8 1/5“)<br />
25: Magnetic Coupling Size (approx. 10“)<br />
P: High Powered Magnets<br />
14: Magnet Length<br />
Q2: Magnetic Coupling Designed for low and<br />
high viscosity application<br />
Z: Non-Metallic Containment Shell<br />
H24: Casing and Casing Cover Heated<br />
The result<br />
Two pumps were installed and have been in operation without any<br />
downtime for maintenance. The satisfied customer has started a project<br />
to replace his existing old pumps with Klaus Union magnet drive<br />
twin screw pumps.<br />
The thought process<br />
All existing Bitumen pumps in that refinery were classified as “bad actors”<br />
due to high leakage rates and short seal lifetimes. Based on this<br />
existing experience, the following iterations were taken during the preengineering<br />
phase of the project:<br />
– Bitumen/Asphalt is prone to cracking when it reaches the atmosphere.<br />
Accordingly, seals should be executed with API Plan 62 (steam<br />
quench), requiring additional utilities. Even under ideal conditions an<br />
API Plan 62 does not prevent leakage to the atmosphere, making the<br />
pump installation always a dirty spot. Additionally, Steam supply may<br />
sometimes fail or be outside permissible range, leading to regular seal<br />
damage and pump downtime.<br />
– Double acting mechanical seal with an API Plan 53 or 54 system were<br />
evaluated next. An API Plan 53/54 system does not have the same<br />
problems as a steam quench as it provides a stable, pressurized barrier<br />
system preventing any Bitumen leakage to the outside. However,<br />
with a Bitumen/Asphalt application the seal supply system would need<br />
to cover both sufficient pre-heating to prevent stocking of the product,<br />
as well as sufficient cooling capacity to prevent overheating of the barrier<br />
fluid system. This means to ensure a stable operation numerous<br />
signals (temperature, pressure, etc.) and utilities (cooling water or energy<br />
for an air cooler, nitrogen for API Plan 53, etc.) are required, making<br />
this an expensive investment if not for the pump, then for the site.<br />
– Based on existing experience in handling difficult to seal and even<br />
toxic liquid, Klaus Union recommended a solution for the customer’s<br />
needs, by executing the pump with seal less magnetic coupling system<br />
from Klaus Union. The magnetic coupling is equipped with a non-metallic<br />
isolation shell, to avoid eddy current losses and provides a pressure<br />
rating of 25 bar for the complete pump. The pump only requires<br />
two signals – a temperature transmitter on the isolation shell to provide<br />
a startup interlock to ensure proper pre-heating temperature,<br />
and a PT100 on the casing to ensure the maximum temperature for<br />
the pump is not exceeded. Otherwise no additional accessories are required,<br />
and the product is not contaminated by any auxiliary fluids.<br />
The benefits<br />
– Eliminating „bad actor“ no. 1: mechanical seal<br />
– Maintenance and Leak-free magnetic coupling, eliminating costs<br />
for steam quench or API Plan 53/54 Systems<br />
– Robust API 676 compliant pump design to increase MTBF<br />
– Pump design adaptive to customer requirements<br />
– Continuously high pump efficiency, even at large variations<br />
of pressure and viscosity<br />
– No timing required after maintenance, decreasing downtimes<br />
for maintenance<br />
– High standardization for fast availability of spares, many available<br />
directly from stock<br />
– Modular system for pump and magnetic coupling can be adapted<br />
to customer‘s and application requirements<br />
The SLM DSP-2C provides a simpler, cleaner solution to the customer’s<br />
needs for highly reliable and highly efficient positive displacement<br />
pumps.<br />
KLAUS UNION GmbH & Co. KG<br />
P.O. Box 10 13 49<br />
44713 Bochum, Germany<br />
Phone +49 (0)234 4595-0<br />
Fax +49 (0)234 4595-7000<br />
info@klaus-union.com<br />
www.klaus-union.com<br />
New Flexicon PF7+ pump<br />
provides no-waste solution<br />
for critical aseptic filling<br />
Watson-Marlow Fluid <strong>Technology</strong> Group (WMFTG) launches the new<br />
Flexicon PF7+ intuitive peristaltic filling pump to provide a no-waste solution<br />
and 21 CFR compliance for critical aseptic final fill applications.<br />
The PF7+ builds on Flexicon’s extensive expertise in peristaltic filling<br />
PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong><br />
67
Pumps/Vacuum technology<br />
Companies – Innovations – Products<br />
of high value products. The PF7+ offers filling precision from as low<br />
as 0.2 ml and repeatable filling accuracies of better than ±0.5 %. It ensures<br />
high-value products such as ATMPs, vaccines, and cell and gene<br />
therapies are protected from contamination and damage to viability.<br />
Bioprocessing needs are becoming increasingly complex with the development<br />
of novel biological therapies, so adopting smarter technologies<br />
for final fill processes is vital. The PF7+ extends the established<br />
capabilities of the industry leading PF7, making it the ideal pump for<br />
every stage of biopharmaceutical therapy development, from research<br />
and development to clinical trials and small batch production.<br />
a guard switch that becomes active only when both parts are securely<br />
in place. The pumphead is factory calibrated and designed without<br />
the need for adjustments over the life of the pump. Confidence in the<br />
PF7+ pump’s operating capabilities is further assured with critical IQ/<br />
OQ documentation and a 5-year warranty.<br />
Reducing waste of high value products<br />
The new final fill pump offers zero waste start-up and 100 % in-process<br />
weight checking when connected to a third-party balance, meaning<br />
more liquid can be used for viable product and less valuable product<br />
is wasted. In order to ensure accuracy in fill volumes, the PF7+ is<br />
set up with dynamic recalibration to automatically adjust if a series of<br />
consecutive fills deviates too far from the fill target. The PF7+ can also<br />
check the weight of individual fills and uses colour fill tolerance to indicate<br />
if the fill is within the acceptance criteria for easy vial rejection.<br />
These additional features build on the existing capabilities of the PF7<br />
to allow for precision filling from as low as 0.2 ml and repeatable filling<br />
accuracies of better than ±0.5 %. With gentle pumping action that eliminates<br />
foaming, splashing or dripping, costly overfilling is prevented.<br />
Easy to use<br />
The pump’s simple set-up and reduced user interaction combined with<br />
easy to clean surfaces, an ergonomic design and clear and intuitive<br />
display facilitate its use, even when gowned up in cleanroom environments.<br />
The addition of a USB keyboard further improves user experience<br />
and reduces risk of error, with the capability to define recipe parameters<br />
to improve repeatability.<br />
These additional capabilities are based on Flexicon’s extensive industry<br />
experience and designed to reduce waste, minimise contamination<br />
risk and improve user experience. This provides an accurate and<br />
reliable final fill pump for sensitive fluids in GMP production, to optimise<br />
high value fill processes.<br />
Improved traceability for audit confidence<br />
With its higher levels of product and production repeatability, the PF7+<br />
offers electronic batch reporting via Ethernet or USB and live audit<br />
trails via Ethernet for improved process traceability. This remote connection<br />
also removes the need to enter the cleanroom, reducing risk<br />
of contamination. The PF7+’s compliance with 21 CFR part 11 provides<br />
the necessary assurance, essential for regulatory approvals.<br />
Confidence in cleanliness and safety<br />
Flexicon pumps use peristaltic technology to remove the risk of potential<br />
cross contamination. Only the inner bore of the pump’s tubing<br />
comes into contact with the fluid, and the low shear, gentle pumping<br />
action ensures the product is transferred efficiently without compromising<br />
viability or quality.<br />
The new PF7+ is available with the QC14 pumphead which features<br />
a hollow core rotor and removable tray to further improve cleanability.<br />
A recessed locking lever and secure tube design enables single handed<br />
tube loading operation while ensuring that tubing is loaded correctly.<br />
The removable tray includes a safety switch for added safety, as well as<br />
Watson-Marlow GmbH<br />
Kurt-Alder-Str. 1<br />
41569 Rommerskirchen, Germany<br />
Phone +49 (0)2183 42040<br />
Fax +49 (0)2183 82592<br />
info@wmftg.de<br />
www.wmftg.de<br />
68 PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong>
PROCESS TECHNOLOG & COMPONENTS<br />
Index of Advertisers<br />
Index of Advertisers<br />
Aerzener Maschinenfabrik GmbH page 7<br />
BAUER KOMPRESSOREN GmbH page 85<br />
Bayern International page 87<br />
BOGE Kompressoren page 109<br />
BRINKMANN PUMPEN<br />
K.H. Brinkmann GmbH & Co. KG page 51<br />
Busch Dienste GmbH page 11<br />
CERTUSS Dampfautomaten GmbH & Co. KG page 113<br />
C. Otto Gehrckens GmbH & Co. KG page 19<br />
Emile Egger & Cie SA page 47<br />
GEA page 79<br />
GRUNDFOS GMBH page 49<br />
Hammelmann GmbH page 13<br />
Industrial Valve Summit page 105<br />
J. A. Becker & Söhne GmbH & Co. KG page 97<br />
JESSBERGER GmbH<br />
3. cover page<br />
Kaeser Kompressoren SE<br />
Insert<br />
KAMAT GmbH & Co. KG page 33<br />
KLAUS UNION GmbH & Co. KG<br />
4. cover page<br />
KLINGER GmbH page 27<br />
LEWA GmbH page 23<br />
Messe Düsseldorf GmbH page 45<br />
Messe München GmbH page 41<br />
NETZSCH Pumpen & Systeme GmbH page 9<br />
Pfeiffer Vacuum GmbH<br />
2. cover page<br />
Pneumofore S. p. A. page 25<br />
Pumpenfabrik Wangen GmbH<br />
Cover page<br />
Sauer Compressors page 91<br />
Schwer Fittings GmbH page 35<br />
SEEPEX GmbH page 17<br />
SEW-Eurodrive page 95<br />
URACA GmbH & Co. KG page 21<br />
Vogelsang GmbH & Co. KG page 37<br />
Watson-Marlow GmbH page 53<br />
WITTE PUMPS & TECHNOLOGY GmbH page 15<br />
WOMA GmbH page 39<br />
Zwick Armaturen GmbH page 71<br />
Your media contact<br />
D-A-CH<br />
Thomas Mlynarik<br />
Tel.: +49 (0) 911 2018 165<br />
Mobile: +49 (0) 151 5481 8181<br />
mlynarik@harnisch.com<br />
INTERNATIONAL<br />
PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS<br />
Gabriele Fahlbusch<br />
Tel.: +49 (0) 911 2018 275<br />
fahlbusch@harnisch.com<br />
Impressum<br />
Publisher<br />
Dr. Harnisch Verlags GmbH in cooperation<br />
with the Editorial Advisory Board under the<br />
management of Prof. Dr.-Ing. Eberhard Schlücker<br />
©<br />
<strong>2022</strong>, Dr. Harnisch Verlags GmbH<br />
Errors excepted<br />
Reprinting and photomechanical<br />
reproduction,even in extract form, is<br />
only possible with the written consent<br />
of the publisher<br />
Editor<br />
Silke Watkins<br />
Advertisements<br />
Silke Watkins<br />
Responsible for content<br />
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Eberhard Schlücker<br />
Silke Watkins<br />
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Dr. Harnisch Verlags GmbH<br />
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Editorial Advisory Board <strong>2022</strong><br />
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Eberhard Schlücker,<br />
IPAT Universität Erlangen<br />
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Andreas Brümmer,<br />
TU Dortmund<br />
Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Gerhart Hobusch,<br />
KAESER KOMPRESSOREN SE<br />
Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Johann Vetter,<br />
NETZSCH Pumpen & Systeme GmbH<br />
Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Sebastian Oberbeck,<br />
Pfeiffer Vacuum GmbH<br />
Suppliers source<br />
Ursula Hahn<br />
Technical Director<br />
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PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong><br />
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IVS – Industrial Valve Summit<br />
Preview of the 4. edition of<br />
Industrial Valve Summit in Bergamo<br />
Only a short time left until IVS –<br />
Industrial Valve Summit, the international<br />
fair dedicated to industrial<br />
valves and flow control<br />
technologies. The fourth edition<br />
will take place on May 25-26, <strong>2022</strong><br />
in Bergamo, Italy. A long-awaited<br />
event after the one-year postponement<br />
due to the Covid-19 emergency,<br />
and for which the interest of<br />
international companies and exhibitors<br />
is constantly growing.<br />
As we approach the summit, the<br />
markets keep recording the rush of<br />
crude oil. Demand has started growing<br />
again and large producers have<br />
ushered in a new round of investments.<br />
A proven mechanism for the<br />
Oil & Gas sector, set for a future in<br />
which global demand is destined to<br />
increase. In this market phase, the<br />
increase in production and the injection<br />
of new capital do not grow proportionally<br />
to the demand. The timid<br />
relaunch on fossil projects is partly<br />
due to the development of alternative<br />
energy sources.<br />
The issue of sustainability plays a<br />
central role in the investment strategies<br />
of Oil & Gas companies. Not only<br />
in terms of the environment, but also<br />
in terms of social and management<br />
aspects. In fact, the growth of the<br />
supply chain of industrial valves will<br />
go through the enhancement of ESG<br />
criteria, which have become a compass<br />
with which the big players measure<br />
and direct investments in the sector.<br />
The sustainability report of the<br />
companies in the supply chain becomes<br />
a crucial element for a company<br />
to be included in the vendor lists<br />
of contractors.<br />
The energy transition has been<br />
receiving great attention by the industry:<br />
the opportunities for the entire<br />
supply chain are concrete. Starting<br />
with the challenges posed by<br />
hydrogen, which requires new infrastructures<br />
for the transport of the resource.<br />
The topic is one of the hottest<br />
within the sustainability scenario, for<br />
which IVS – Industrial Valve Summit<br />
will play a leading role. The fair combines<br />
an exhibition vocation with a<br />
scientific value, which is expressed<br />
through the series of conferences<br />
that will be held during the Summit.<br />
Not only does IVS enable the major<br />
players in the global supply chain to<br />
come together, providing an opportunity<br />
to network and do business,<br />
but it also represents a showcase in<br />
which to discuss the changes taking<br />
place within the sector and analyse<br />
market trends.<br />
The conferences will discuss the<br />
scenarios and new applications of the<br />
latest innovations. Starting from Carbon<br />
Capture and Storage (CSS) technologies.<br />
Just think of two very topical<br />
projects, such as the Northern Lights<br />
plant, which will be realized by Equinor<br />
in Norway, and the maxi-project<br />
led by Eni, which will create one of<br />
the largest CO 2<br />
storage centres in the<br />
world in the Adriatic Sea. These infrastructures<br />
are of strategic value for<br />
the industrial valve supply chain: for<br />
the Norwegian plant, for example, a<br />
consignment of tubular products totalling<br />
105 kilometres of pipe lines<br />
was commissioned.<br />
IVS – Industrial Valve Summit<br />
www.industrialvalvesummit.com<br />
70 PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong>
WWW.ZWICK-VALVES.COM<br />
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Trade fairs and events<br />
IFAT Munich<br />
IFAT Munich:<br />
water-wise urban development<br />
as a task for the future<br />
– Municipalities between heavy<br />
rain and drought<br />
– Intermunicipal cooperation and<br />
legal situation to be optimized<br />
– Key topic of IFAT Munich from<br />
May 30 to June 3, <strong>2022</strong><br />
It is likely that our cities will have<br />
to cope with alternating periods of<br />
heavy rainfall and drought in the future,<br />
requiring a paradigm shift in<br />
how rainwater is handled, outlined<br />
by the buzzword “sponge cities.”<br />
IFAT Munich will be the opportunity<br />
to discuss challenges and obstacles,<br />
as well as to present solutions and<br />
best-practice examples. The world's<br />
largest trade fair for environmental<br />
technologies will be held in Munich<br />
from May 30 to June 3, <strong>2022</strong>.<br />
Many municipalities around the<br />
globe have to deal with the challenges<br />
of temporarily too much or too little<br />
rainwater. As a result of climate<br />
change, cities and municipalities in<br />
Germany will most likely be affected<br />
even more frequently and severely by<br />
heavy rain, flooding, heat waves and<br />
drought in the future.<br />
One of the most effective approaches<br />
to adaptation is the concept of the<br />
“sponge city”, which is based on the<br />
idea of urban planning to absorb as<br />
much rainwater as possible in green<br />
areas, wetlands and multi-functional<br />
storage areas instead of directly discharging<br />
it into sewers. Ideally, this<br />
will not only mitigate the effects of<br />
storms, but also store precious rainwater<br />
for subsequent dry periods<br />
and can then be used to keep trees<br />
and green spaces alive. Together with<br />
green roofs and facades, this helps to<br />
cool down and improve the air quality<br />
in the city.<br />
European pioneers:<br />
Copenhagen and Vienna<br />
Along with Asian forerunners such<br />
as Singapore and various cities in<br />
southern China, several European<br />
cities now also have ambitious sponge<br />
city projects. Copenhagen and Vienna<br />
are considered pioneers here: since<br />
2014, the Danish capital has had a<br />
corresponding water management<br />
system in place, including a network<br />
of underground relief tunnels and the<br />
irrigation of urban greenery with water<br />
from centrally located wastewater<br />
treatment plants.<br />
In the Austrian capital, a new district<br />
called Seestadt is being built on<br />
the former Aspern airfield. Waterwise<br />
measures implemented here<br />
include generous, contiguously designed<br />
root spaces that store precipitation<br />
water and release it to urban<br />
trees over long periods of time. In addition,<br />
seepage, filter and settling basins<br />
were integrated into the tree pits<br />
and planted with road salt-resistant<br />
bushes, thus acting like decentralized<br />
miniature sewage treatment plants.<br />
Germany: lots of projects in different<br />
stages and dimensions<br />
In Germany, Hamburg is a prominent<br />
example: according to the water supply<br />
company Hamburg Wasser new<br />
development areas have been created<br />
in the Hanseatic city in recent<br />
years where rainwater is almost completely<br />
decoupled from the sewerage<br />
system. Also, many other cities<br />
— Münster, Berlin, Munich, Ludwigsburg,<br />
Leipzig — have already implemented<br />
sponge city projects of varying<br />
scope. And many more are being<br />
planned and implemented — often<br />
with scientific support — and are carried<br />
out in intermunicipal networks:<br />
in the future initiative Klima.Werk, 16<br />
cities along the Emscher, a tributary<br />
of the Rhine, are working together<br />
with the Emschergenossenschaft water<br />
management association on the<br />
blue/green transformation.<br />
Essential: intermunicipal<br />
cooperation<br />
Water-wise cities—a central topic at IFAT Munich <strong>2022</strong> (Photo © : Messe München GmbH)<br />
For this change to succeed in as many<br />
other cities and municipalities as possible<br />
in the future, it is important that<br />
the various departments of the re-<br />
72 PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong>
Trade fairs and events<br />
IFAT Munich<br />
spective municipality cooperate very<br />
closely—above all spatial and traffic<br />
planning and the green spaces department,<br />
in addition to urban drainage.<br />
“Ideally, this cooperation begins<br />
in phase zero, i. e. before the project<br />
actually starts,” emphasizes Johannes<br />
Lohaus, Executive Board Spokesman<br />
for the German Association for Water,<br />
Wastewater and Waste (DWA).<br />
Potential investors should also be<br />
brought on board at this stage, in his<br />
opinion.<br />
Legal framework still subject to<br />
improvement<br />
Legally, such projects are already<br />
possible today based on current law.<br />
The wastewater legislation of the Federal<br />
Water Act, the state water laws,<br />
and the Federal Building Code give<br />
priority to decentralized precipitation<br />
water management. “However,<br />
the legal framework needs to be further<br />
optimized in terms of a waterwise<br />
city of the future,” Lohaus says.<br />
This includes a clear legal mandate<br />
for the development of decentralized<br />
precipitation management in the Federal<br />
Water Act. In addition, the federal<br />
states should create possibilities<br />
for (co-)financing heavy rainfall risk<br />
Photo © : Alex Schelbert /Messe München GmbH)<br />
mana gement. According to the DWA ronment, the DWA and the German<br />
expert, the state laws currently do not Federal Environment Foundation<br />
sufficiently provide for this possibility. (DBU), will organize matching events<br />
in the fair’s conference program. Furthermore,<br />
Water-wise cities — a central topic<br />
at IFAT Munich <strong>2022</strong><br />
the German Association of<br />
Local Utilities (VKU) plans trade fair<br />
tours to present specific solutions for<br />
The water management adaptation<br />
of cities and municipalities to climate<br />
change is one of the core topics of<br />
the world's leading trade fair for water,<br />
heavy rain and flood prevention. IFAT<br />
Munich will take place from May 30<br />
to June 3, <strong>2022</strong> at Munich’s trade fair<br />
centre.<br />
sewage, waste and raw materi-<br />
als management: IFAT Munich <strong>2022</strong>.<br />
Partner institutions of the show, such<br />
as the Bavarian Ministry of the Envi-<br />
IFAT Munich<br />
www.ifat.de<br />
Your newsletter registration at:<br />
www.harnisch.com/food/en/newsletter-sign-up<br />
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Trade fairs and events<br />
Pumps & Valves Dortmund<br />
Pumps & Valves in parallel with<br />
Solids & Recycling-Technik in June <strong>2022</strong> in Dortmund<br />
Trade Show-Trio pioneering the trend<br />
of the times<br />
On June 22 and 23, <strong>2022</strong>, representatives<br />
of industrial valves, pumps,<br />
solids and recycling technology will<br />
once again meet live on site in Dortmund.<br />
With key topics such as process<br />
automation and sustainability<br />
in production, the trade show trio<br />
Pumps & Valves, Solids and Recycling-Technik<br />
will once again show<br />
itself to be groundbreaking for the<br />
industries. 450 exhibitors have already<br />
booked their stand for the<br />
summer.<br />
After a break due to Corona, the<br />
Pumps & Valves, Solids and Recycling-Technik<br />
trade show will finally be<br />
inviting visitors to Dortmund again<br />
on June 22 and 23 for a personal exchange<br />
of ideas. 450 exhibitors have<br />
already booked their stand for the<br />
summer date and promise impulses<br />
on numerous topics that currently<br />
move the industries. “With this year's<br />
focal points such as process automation<br />
and sustainable production, we<br />
are hitting the nerve of the times,”<br />
knows Sandrina Schempp, Head of<br />
<strong>Process</strong>ing Cluster at trade show organizer<br />
Easyfairs Deutschland GmbH.<br />
Thus, trade visitors will not only find<br />
information on these two top topics,<br />
but also suggestions and solutions<br />
for fire and explosion protection, digital<br />
process optimization and many<br />
other current issues in the sectors.<br />
Solutions for increasing demands<br />
on the industries<br />
Every day, the changing times are reflected<br />
in the media. Companies are<br />
suffering from a shortage of skilled<br />
workers, raw materials are becoming<br />
scarce and expensive, supply<br />
chains are increasingly uncertain, and<br />
the need for sustainable solutions<br />
for industry and production is growing.<br />
Where individual processes have<br />
been automated up to now, complete<br />
process chains are to be networked<br />
and agilely adapted to changing requirements<br />
in the future. Decisionmakers<br />
are looking for ways and<br />
means to further optimize processes<br />
and to make their production not only<br />
sustainable, but also climate-neutral<br />
for future generations.<br />
Three trade shows, comprehensive<br />
and cross-thematic<br />
Photos © : Easyfairs Deutschland GmbH<br />
The industry get-together, which has<br />
been firmly scheduled for June, therefore<br />
combines for the first time all<br />
relevant industry sectors relating to<br />
the handling, processing and recycling<br />
of industrial bulk solids, liquids<br />
and gases. With the new trio of trade<br />
shows, organizer Easyfairs is responding<br />
to the current needs of the industries<br />
and offering visitors and exhibitors<br />
alike the opportunity to exchange<br />
ideas on a cross-thematic basis. This is<br />
also confirmed by Peter Eckhoff, Head<br />
of Marketing at EBRO ARMATUREN<br />
74 PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong>
Trade fairs and events<br />
Pumps & Valves Dortmund<br />
Lecture Program<br />
Gebr. Bröer GmbH: “We have already<br />
been exhibitors at Solids Dortmund<br />
since 2014 and are still extremely<br />
satis fied with the quality of the trade<br />
visitors and the results in the followup.<br />
We very much welcome the firsttime<br />
combination of the two trade<br />
shows Soldis and Pumps & Valves. It<br />
allows us to reach an even broader<br />
spectrum of potential customers at<br />
one location. This synergy is an enormous<br />
added value for us. We are already<br />
very much looking forward to<br />
the fact that the industry will finally be<br />
able to meet in person again on June<br />
22 and 23 in Dortmund!”<br />
Strong partners and exhibitors from<br />
various branches of industry will enrich<br />
the information on offer. For example<br />
visitors will find answers to<br />
the questions about “digitalization”<br />
from the experts of Mittelstand-<br />
Digital Zentrum Ruhr-OWL or about<br />
“Condition Monitoring” by Pumpe DE.<br />
Furthermore, at the joint stand of the<br />
WFZruhr e.V., participants will receive<br />
valuable suggestions for the path to<br />
consistens recycling management.<br />
Therefore, anyone looking for solutions<br />
for current and future tasks can<br />
already make a note of the June date<br />
of Pumps & Valves, Solids and Recycling-Technik<br />
in their calendar.<br />
Get your free ticket with code 2530:<br />
https://www.pumpsvalvesdortmund.de/ihr-messeticket/<br />
Come and see for yourself:<br />
www.harnisch.com<br />
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Trade fairs and events<br />
ACHEMA<br />
ACHEMA <strong>2022</strong>:<br />
The global meeting place for the process<br />
industries on site in Frankfurt again<br />
After ACHEMA Pulse 2021 – the pioneering<br />
digital event for the process<br />
industries – ACHEMA <strong>2022</strong> is back<br />
in Frankfurt: once again from 22 to<br />
26 August <strong>2022</strong>, the Frankfurt Fairground<br />
will be the meeting place<br />
for the global process industries. In<br />
times of the pandemic, a comprehensive<br />
hygiene concept ensures<br />
that networking is possible in a safe<br />
environment on site.<br />
In <strong>2022</strong>, Trendsetting technology and<br />
global networking will continue to<br />
characterise the world's leading trade<br />
fair. Manufacturers and service providers<br />
from almost 50 nations will<br />
present their products and services<br />
for the chemical, pharmaceutical,<br />
biotechnology, energy and environmental<br />
sectors. Company founders<br />
and young entrepreneurs will meet<br />
in the Start-up Area. “After a two-year<br />
dry spell, the need for in-depth professional<br />
and personal exchange is<br />
palpable”, says Dr Thomas Scheuring,<br />
CEO of DECHEMA Ausstellungs-GmbH.<br />
With the focal topics “The Digital<br />
Lab”, “Product and <strong>Process</strong> Security”<br />
and “Modular and Connected Production”,<br />
ACHEMA <strong>2022</strong> will address<br />
the issues that are preying on the<br />
mind of the process industries.<br />
The Digital Lab<br />
Laboratories in industry and research<br />
are increasingly fitted with Internet<br />
of Things (IoT)-equipment. Robots<br />
that relieve staff from mundane and<br />
repetitive tasks such as serial pipetting<br />
are already state-of-the-art. Yet,<br />
smart digital workflows in a fully connected<br />
lab are still a long way off<br />
most of the time. Achieving this goal<br />
requires a powerful IT environment<br />
and a fully integrated equipment at<br />
least and could go as far as changing<br />
the layout of the lab space. Research<br />
labs and quality assurance labs may<br />
Fig. 1: Laboratory Systems – Workbenches (Photo © : DECHEMA e.V./Jean-Luc Valentin)<br />
follow different approaches. Thus a<br />
modular setup is as desirable for the<br />
lab as it is for production plants. Also,<br />
both lab types are generating a huge<br />
amount of data whose analysis calls<br />
for a big data approach.<br />
Product and <strong>Process</strong> Security<br />
IoT-devices are increasingly becoming<br />
part of operation and production<br />
processes. With every valve that<br />
has an IT interface and with every “intelligent”<br />
pump sending data to the<br />
cloud, IT- and cybersecurity is rising<br />
to the top of the list of things to<br />
be concerned about. While occupational<br />
safety systems are well established<br />
and the number of accidents in<br />
which a person is injured is decreasing<br />
steadily, cyberattacks are becoming<br />
all the more prevalent. Industry<br />
4.0 and IoT call for an intensified effort<br />
to make interfaces between the<br />
physical and the virtual world secure.<br />
Identifying, assessing and addressing<br />
the vulnerabilities of your business<br />
is the first step towards secure<br />
products and processes. In addition,<br />
the entire value chain needs to be<br />
Fig. 2: Complete combination of Changeover<br />
valve with two safety valves<br />
(Photo © : DECHEMA e.V./Helmut Stettin)<br />
covered, starting from the procurement<br />
of raw materials and reaching<br />
as far as the recycling of products at<br />
the end of their life.<br />
Modular and Connected Production<br />
Manufacturing processes in the<br />
chemical and pharmaceutical industry<br />
need to be flexible, fast and<br />
76 PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong>
Trade fairs and events<br />
ACHEMA<br />
cost-efficient. This is best achieved<br />
with modular process skids, which<br />
can be pre-fabricated and tested in<br />
the workshop and then assembled<br />
on site. Skids are available with their<br />
own programmable logic controller<br />
or can be integrated into an overarching<br />
process control system. The<br />
automation industry is working on<br />
an open standard interface – such a<br />
module type package (MTP) will allow<br />
for true interoperability. Modular<br />
plants are the key to meeting the<br />
customers’ needs for small batches<br />
of varying products. They allow for an<br />
effortless adjustment of the plant design<br />
to ever-changing requirements<br />
and are also the way to change from<br />
batch to continuous production.<br />
In addition, the mega topics of<br />
digitalisation and climate neutrality<br />
are moving even more into the focus<br />
of ACHEMA with the “Digital Hub” and<br />
the “Green Innovation Zone”.<br />
Closer integration between exhibition<br />
and congress programme<br />
For the first time, ACHEMA <strong>2022</strong> will<br />
also fully integrate the congress into<br />
the exhibition programme: All lecture<br />
sessions will take place either on<br />
stages directly in the exhibition halls<br />
or in the immediate vicinity of the exhibition<br />
groups. Furthermore, there<br />
willl be five Theme Days at the congress<br />
instead of three as in previous<br />
years. This ensures that none of the<br />
topics that are of concern to the process<br />
industries will be left out.<br />
“True to the ACHEMA motto 'Inspiring<br />
Sustainable Connections', we are<br />
bringing together what belongs together,”<br />
says Dr Andreas Förster,<br />
Managing Director of DECHEMA and<br />
thus organiser of ACHEMA, “Application<br />
and research will go even more<br />
hand in hand at ACHEMA <strong>2022</strong> thanks<br />
to the closer thematic and spatial integration<br />
of the exhibition and congress<br />
programme.”<br />
Five instead of three Theme Days<br />
The “Hydrogen Economy” will kickoff<br />
on Monday (22 August <strong>2022</strong>): Hydrogen<br />
will play a pivotal role in the<br />
transformation of the process industries,<br />
transportation sector and the<br />
energy system towards greenhouse<br />
gas neutrality. The focus of the first<br />
Theme Day will therefore be how further<br />
potential can be leveraged in the<br />
future.<br />
Fossil-free production is an important<br />
and ambitious goal for reducing<br />
the process industries‘ greenhouse<br />
gas emissions. While the idea<br />
of fossil-free production is simple,<br />
there are many unanswered questions.<br />
These will be addressed by the<br />
“Fossil Free Production” Theme Day<br />
on Tuesday (23 August <strong>2022</strong>).<br />
The focal topic of ACHEMA “The<br />
Digital Lab” will touched upon on the<br />
Theme Day on Wednesday (24 August<br />
<strong>2022</strong>) with “Perspectives in Laboratory<br />
& Analytics”: The highlight session<br />
and the congress complement<br />
the visit to ACHEMA on this topic.<br />
The perennial topic of “Digitalisation<br />
in <strong>Process</strong> Industry” will be featured<br />
in the new exhibition group “Digital<br />
Hub” (Hall 12.1), as well as a focal<br />
point on the agenda of the congress<br />
programme on Thursday (25 August<br />
<strong>2022</strong>).<br />
The last day of the congress on<br />
Friday (26 August <strong>2022</strong>) will focus on<br />
“Novel Bioprocesses and Technologies”:<br />
New biopharmaceuticals, biobased<br />
fine chemicals or biotechnological<br />
recycling – they all demand<br />
novel (production) processes.<br />
ACHEMA <strong>2022</strong> will also be the global<br />
showcase for these developments.<br />
ACHEMA Congress <strong>2022</strong> with more<br />
than 115 sessions<br />
At the ACHEMA Congress, researchers,<br />
developers and users meet to<br />
discuss the latest technical developments<br />
and solutions for the current<br />
challenges of the process industries.<br />
All in all, the ACHEMA <strong>2022</strong> Congress<br />
will feature more than 115 sessions.<br />
While the congress sessions focus on<br />
application-oriented research and<br />
development from proof-of-concept<br />
to the threshold of market entry, the<br />
PRAXISforums focus on current issues<br />
from production, best practices<br />
and ready-to-use technologies in<br />
short presentations – always with the<br />
application in mind. Together with<br />
the exhibition and the closer integration<br />
of the congress in <strong>2022</strong>, ACHEMA<br />
offers the full 360-degree perspective<br />
on all trends and technologies in the<br />
process industries.<br />
ACHEMA<br />
www.achema.de<br />
Fig. 3: Panel Discussion: Plastic-Free Europe (Photo © : DECHEMA e.V./Jean-Luc Valentin)<br />
PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong><br />
77
Trade fairs and events<br />
VALVE WORLD EXPO<br />
VALVE WORLD EXPO <strong>2022</strong> in Düsseldorf<br />
Industrial valves sector looks forward to its leading trade fair<br />
in Düsseldorf in November <strong>2022</strong><br />
A mood of optimism within the industry:<br />
after a four-year break, companies<br />
in the industrial valves sector<br />
are once again longing for real<br />
encounters, a lively exchange of information<br />
and technological innovations<br />
to touch at the exhibition<br />
stands.<br />
Industrial valves and fittings play an<br />
indispensable role in almost all industries,<br />
regulating flow rates, separating<br />
different media and thus<br />
preventing liquid and gas spills. The<br />
exhibitors at VALVE WORLD EXPO<br />
live from 29 November to 1 December<br />
<strong>2022</strong> in Halls 1 and 3 of Düsseldorf<br />
Fairgrounds will show just how<br />
innovative the industry is.<br />
The response from the industry<br />
is correspondingly great. Key<br />
players such as MRC Global, KITZ,<br />
Emerson, Samson, AUMA, Omal/<br />
Actuatech, Zwick Armaturen, Pekos<br />
Valves, Böhmer, Ari Armaturen,<br />
Effebi, Hoerbiger, Galperti, Neles/<br />
metso, Neway and Crane are firmly<br />
behind the leading trade fair. Medium-sized<br />
companies are also<br />
clearly showing their colours in<br />
Düsseldorf. An overview of the registration<br />
status to date can be found at<br />
www.valveworldexpo.com. Interested<br />
companies can still register to take<br />
part in the fair.<br />
The accompanying Valve World Conference<br />
in Hall 1 and the Valve World<br />
Expo Forum in Hall 3 will ensure a<br />
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78 PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong>
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Compressors and Systems<br />
From the research<br />
Energetic profile optimisation<br />
of twin-screw compressors<br />
Matthias Heselmann (MSc), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Andreas Brümmer<br />
Abstract<br />
In this article, the energy conversion<br />
of twin-screw compressors is considered<br />
and analysed to what extent this<br />
can be improved by choosing a suitable<br />
profile for the rotors. In general,<br />
the energy conversion in screw compressors<br />
is significantly influenced<br />
by gap flows between the working<br />
chambers. While the front and housing<br />
gaps are essentially influenced<br />
by the size, i. e. shaft diameter and<br />
length as well as the rotor twist, the<br />
choice of profile has a decisive effect<br />
on the blowhole and the inter-lobe<br />
clearance. The normal rack generation<br />
method according to Wu, which<br />
provides 12 free parameters, is used<br />
to generate the rotor profile. The indicated<br />
power related to the intake<br />
volume flow, also known as the specific<br />
indicated power, is chosen as a<br />
measure for the energy conversion.<br />
The key profile parameters are identified<br />
using a statistical test plan. The<br />
results indicate that only 4 parameters<br />
influence the energy conversion.<br />
Through their targeted setting, an optimal<br />
compromise between blowhole<br />
area and inter-lobe clearance width is<br />
achieved, which can reduce the specific<br />
indicated power by around 3 %.<br />
Due to their periodic working cycle,<br />
screw compressors can be classified<br />
in the group of positive displacement<br />
machines. The working chambers are<br />
formed by two rotors twisted in opposite<br />
directions, which are mounted<br />
in a housing that encloses them tightly.<br />
Due to significant improvements in<br />
the manufacture of the complicated<br />
rotor geometries, the compact design<br />
and the low-maintenance operation,<br />
this type of machine is now the most<br />
commonly used type of compressor<br />
in compressed air and re frigeration<br />
technology. In general, screw machines<br />
can be divided into dry-running<br />
and wet-running machines.<br />
The reason for the subdivision results<br />
from the torque to be transmitted<br />
from the female to the male rotor<br />
[Utr19]. In the case of wet-running<br />
machines, an auxiliary fluid (usually<br />
oil) is injected into the working chamber,<br />
which lubricates the rotors and<br />
thus reduces wear in direct contact<br />
between the rotors. In addition to lubricating<br />
the rotors, the auxiliary fluid<br />
partially seals the working chambers,<br />
reduces noise emissions and dissipates<br />
a significant part of the compression<br />
heat. As a result, wet-running<br />
screw machines can achieve a<br />
compression ratio of up to 20. Usually<br />
the oil has to be separated from the<br />
gas again downstream of the compressor,<br />
which is associated with increased<br />
effort. This is not necessary<br />
for dry-running screw machines. Instead,<br />
a synchronisation gear is required<br />
to transmit the torque between<br />
the rotors in order to avoid<br />
contact between them. Since the advantages<br />
of an auxiliary fluid do not<br />
apply, the achievable compression<br />
ratio is around 5. Due to the lack of<br />
hydraulic losses, dry-running screw<br />
compressors can be operated with<br />
a rotor-tip speed of approx. 100 m/s,<br />
which is twice as high as with the wetrunning<br />
type [Rin79].<br />
Working cycle of<br />
screw compressors<br />
As with all positive displacement<br />
machines, the periodically occurring<br />
working cycle can be classified<br />
into characteristic phases. The<br />
gas exchange work steps, consisting<br />
of suction and discharge, as well<br />
as the work phase are run through.<br />
With a screw compressor, this consists<br />
only of compression, since the<br />
screw machine works without deadspace.<br />
In order to evaluate the quality<br />
of the compressor, a pV diagram is<br />
often used, which can be represented<br />
ideally by isobaric gas exchange<br />
and isentropic compression (Fig. 1).<br />
The red arrows symbolise the direction<br />
of rotation and the red marked<br />
rotor surfaces symbolise the working<br />
chambers to which the mentioned<br />
phase refers.<br />
As already mentioned, the screw<br />
machine works without deadspace.<br />
This means that a working cycle begins<br />
when a working chamber is created<br />
and steadily increases in size<br />
from there. Axial and radial openings<br />
in the housing provide a con-<br />
Introduction<br />
Fig. 1: Idealised pV diagram of a screw compressor<br />
80 PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong>
Compressors and Systems<br />
From the research<br />
nection to the low-pressure port (LP<br />
port) of the system. This connection<br />
usually exists until the working<br />
chamber reaches its maximum volume.<br />
The connection to the LP port<br />
is separated by driving over the LPside<br />
control edges. Now the working<br />
phase follows. During compression,<br />
the working chamber is encapsulated<br />
in that it is only connected to<br />
other working chambers via operational<br />
gap connections, but also temporarily<br />
to the LP and high-pressure<br />
side (HP side). The further rotation<br />
of the rotors causes the chamber to<br />
become continuously smaller, thereby<br />
increasing the energy content of<br />
the working medium in the form of<br />
pressure and temperature. The duration<br />
of the compression depends<br />
on the position of the HP-side control<br />
edges, which when passed over, create<br />
a connection to the HP port. The<br />
position of the HP-side control edges<br />
defines a chamber volume V compr,end<br />
at which compression ideally ends.<br />
Thus, if the maximum chamber volume<br />
V max<br />
is put into the ratio:<br />
(1)<br />
then the internal volume ratio v i<br />
is obtained,<br />
which is independent of the<br />
pressures in the suction and pressure<br />
ports and thus has a significant<br />
influence on the partial and overload<br />
behaviour of the system. If geometric<br />
variations are carried out, care<br />
should be taken to ensure that the internal<br />
volume ratio matches the rotor<br />
geometry used (profile, twisting, etc.),<br />
otherwise misinterpretations can<br />
quickly occur [Utr21]. The last step<br />
in the working cycle is the process of<br />
discharge, in which the working fluid<br />
is pushed into the HP port by further<br />
reducing the chamber volume.<br />
This process ends when the ejecting<br />
chamber disappears. The required<br />
indicated power P i<br />
of the compressor<br />
then results from the area formed<br />
in the pV diagram together with the<br />
number of working cycles (speed n ×<br />
number of lobes of the male rotor z):<br />
(2)<br />
If the required internal capacity is related<br />
to the suction conditions converted<br />
volume flow rate the volume<br />
flow rate related to suction<br />
conditions indicated power, E i<br />
of the<br />
compressor results:<br />
(3)<br />
This is the amount of energy that the<br />
compressor needs to bring a suctioned<br />
volume of fluid to the desired<br />
pressure level. This variable is very<br />
suitable for comparing the quality of<br />
compressors and should be as small<br />
as possible.<br />
Rotor profile<br />
The first patent for a screw machine<br />
dates back to 1878 [Kri78]. However,<br />
the symmetrical rotors developed by<br />
Krigar could not run due to the kinematic<br />
conditions of the gearing law.<br />
It was not until 1934 that the development<br />
of the screw machine was resumed<br />
by the chief engineer at Svenska<br />
Rotor Maskiner (SRM) Lysholm.<br />
The asymmetric profile he developed<br />
represents a further development of<br />
the pair of helical rotors patented by<br />
Krigar. These rotors were only able<br />
to run when using a synchronisation<br />
gear. In 1952, the upswing of the<br />
screw machine began with the screw<br />
profile patented by HR Nielsson (also<br />
SRM), which was no longer designed<br />
to be completely airtight at the contact<br />
lines (there is a gap there). This<br />
profile represented the starting point<br />
for many of today’s screw machine<br />
profiles [Rin87]. An overview of frequently<br />
used screw profiles is given<br />
in [Sto05].<br />
One possibility to generate rotor<br />
profiles of screw machines is the rack<br />
method. Fig. 2 shows an example of<br />
the rotors and the parameterised<br />
rack profile in the so-called normal<br />
plane (N-N). It is perpendicular to the<br />
profile pitch plane or the tooth flank.<br />
The front section plane is denoted<br />
by T-T. The angle β between the two<br />
planes is called the helix angle and is<br />
used to project the generated profile<br />
from the N-N plane to the T-T plane.<br />
The profile used here according to<br />
Wu [Wu08] consists of 9 segments<br />
that are continuously connected to<br />
each other at C 1 . Including the helix<br />
angle, there are 12 parameters with<br />
which this screw profile can be designed.<br />
Fig. 2: Representation of the parameters for<br />
designing a rotor profile using the normal<br />
rack generation method [Wu08]<br />
Gap situation<br />
During the operation of a screw machine,<br />
relative movements occur both<br />
between the rotors and between the<br />
rotor and the housing. For this reason,<br />
gaps are necessary between the<br />
components. When dimensioning<br />
these gaps, thermal expansion, mechanical<br />
deformation, bearing clearances<br />
and manufacturing tolerances<br />
of all components involved must be<br />
taken into account [Fos03]. On the<br />
other hand, gap connections cause<br />
undesired mass flow rates between<br />
the working chambers and partly<br />
from the HP side to the LP side. Depending<br />
on the boundary conditions<br />
at the gap, such as pressure ratio,<br />
rela tive movements and geometry,<br />
the influence of the gap varies greatly.<br />
Therefore, the investigation of gap<br />
flows for the simulation of screw machines<br />
is indispensable and is carried<br />
out in [Utr18a, Utr18b, Sac02, Pev07,<br />
Utr21], among others. There are four<br />
types of gaps found in a screw machine<br />
(Fig. 3.). The front and housing<br />
gaps are formed between the rotors<br />
and the housing and connect two adjacent<br />
working chambers. Their dimensions<br />
are essentially determined<br />
by the size and the wrap angle. The<br />
blowhole and the inter-lobe clearance,<br />
on the other hand, are strongly<br />
dependent on the selected profile<br />
shape. The calculation of the blowhole<br />
area is dealt with in [Nad17,<br />
Rin79, Sin88]. For rotor pairs that<br />
have a gap, the inter-lobe clearance<br />
PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong><br />
81
Compressors and Systems<br />
From the research<br />
runs along the line of the smallest distance<br />
between the rotors. A sugges-<br />
connections that occur are plotted<br />
gap connections and gas exchange<br />
tion for the calculation can be found against the angle of rotation. Since<br />
in [Nad17].<br />
the geometric change over the ro-<br />
Fig. 3: Representation of the gap types in a screw machine (greatly enlarged)<br />
Simulation and modelling<br />
Dry-running screw machines are<br />
usually simulated using numerical<br />
flow simulations (computational fluid<br />
dynamics – CFD) [Ran15, Joh05] or<br />
chamber models [Kau02]. Since CFD<br />
simulations are very computationally<br />
intensive, simulation using a multichamber<br />
model is often used when<br />
designing a screw machine. Multichamber<br />
simulation means that the<br />
interactions between the individual<br />
chambers are included in the calculation.<br />
This is ensured by an analysis<br />
of all geometry-describing parameters<br />
of the rotors [Tem07]. The calculation<br />
based on a chamber model is<br />
based on the assumption of a homogeneous<br />
state in the working chambers.<br />
The calculation is based on the<br />
conservation of mass and energy<br />
according to the first law of thermodynamics.<br />
(4)<br />
(5)<br />
tational speed is directly associated<br />
with the change over time, the only<br />
thing missing for the iterative solution<br />
of the equations is the determination<br />
of the mass flow rates that<br />
occur through the gap connections<br />
and gas exchange connections. In<br />
order to determine this within the<br />
chamber model simulation, an isentropic<br />
nozzle flow is usually used,<br />
which is then multiplied by a flow coefficient<br />
α to take the influence of friction<br />
into account:<br />
(6)<br />
In order to improve the mapping<br />
quality of the simulation, dimension-<br />
less numbers were determined in<br />
[Utr21] in order to adapt the flow coefficient<br />
to the actual boundary conditions<br />
(e. g. existing Reynolds number).<br />
This is not used in this work<br />
and instead a general flow coefficient<br />
of 0.8 is used [Sac02, Pev07].<br />
The required chamber models are<br />
created automatically, based on a<br />
front section analysis. The prerequisite<br />
is the provision of the inter-lobe<br />
clearance or line of contact. Since<br />
the profile family under consideration<br />
is an analytical description, it is<br />
automatically available following a<br />
concrete profile generation. An exception<br />
to the fully automatic creation<br />
of the chamber models has so<br />
far been the blowhole. The methodology<br />
proposed by Rinder [Rin79] is<br />
used to determine this.<br />
Boundary conditions<br />
The investigation of the profile family<br />
according to Wu with regard to the<br />
energy conversion quality assumes<br />
that all simulated screw compressors<br />
are comparable with each other. This<br />
affects both the physical and geometric<br />
boundary conditions as well as the<br />
internal volume ratio, which depends<br />
on the operating point and the rotor<br />
geometry. This is then optimised<br />
for each rotor geometry examined to<br />
ensure that the interaction of rotors<br />
and housing has no influence on the<br />
result achieved. Table 1 summarises<br />
the examined physical and geometric<br />
boundary conditions.<br />
Table 1: Geometric and physical boundary conditions<br />
Geometric boundary conditions Male rotor Female rotor<br />
Rotor diameter [mm] 72 70.56<br />
Lobe number [-] 4 6<br />
Rotor length [mm] 115<br />
Wrap angle [°] 275 -183<br />
Revolutions per minute [1/min] 25000<br />
Gap dimensions [μm] 81<br />
Internal volume ratio [-]<br />
respectively optimised<br />
To calculate the individual portions of<br />
the change over time in the internal<br />
energy dU/dt, technical work dW/dt,<br />
heat dQ/dt and the exchange of enthalpy<br />
flow rates the geometry<br />
of the working chambers and the<br />
Physical boundary conditions Value<br />
Low pressure [Pa] 101300<br />
Intake temperature [K] 293<br />
Compression ratio [-] 3.5; 5; 6.5<br />
Flow coefficient [-]<br />
0.8 (all gaps)<br />
82 PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong>
Compressors and Systems<br />
From the research<br />
Statistical profile investigation<br />
With the 12 parameters to choose<br />
from, the rotor profile family has too<br />
many parameters, some of which<br />
have very little influence on the energy<br />
conversion quality, for direct optimisation<br />
of the parameters to make<br />
sense. Furthermore, the choice of an<br />
optimisation algorithm is problematic<br />
since it is not clear whether and<br />
to what extent the parameters interact<br />
with regard to the energy conversion<br />
quality. For this reason, a statistical<br />
evaluation (design of experiments<br />
– DOE) is used and the MINITAB software<br />
is used for this purpose.<br />
respective influencing variable. Often,<br />
α = 95 % is chosen as the expected<br />
range or confidence interval. The<br />
decision as to whether a parameter<br />
has a relevant influence on the target<br />
value can be recognised using the<br />
significance value. If the significance<br />
value is less than 1 – α, the parameter<br />
under consideration has a significant<br />
effect on the target variable. Another<br />
advantage of the DOE is that<br />
in addition to the linear influence of<br />
the parameters, quadratic influences<br />
and interactions are also taken into<br />
account [Mat05]. The results of the<br />
screening carried out indicate that<br />
parameters 1, 3, 7 and 11 as well as<br />
Table 2: Parameters and levels of statistical design of experiments, as well as direction of<br />
optimisation with regard to specific indicated power<br />
Number Parameter Low<br />
Level<br />
Reference<br />
profile<br />
High<br />
Level<br />
1 ρ 1<br />
1.6 2.4 2.4 ↓<br />
2 ρ 2<br />
1.4 1.9 2.4 ↔<br />
3 u n<br />
0.24435 0.24435 0.34907 ↓<br />
4 t 1 1 1,4 ↔<br />
5 s 0.6 0.6 1.2 ↔<br />
6 κ 1 1 4 ↔<br />
7 τ 1 4 4 ↑<br />
8 d 0.1 0.1 1.1 ↔<br />
9 γ 0.01745 0.05236 0.05236 ↔<br />
10 e a<br />
20 25 25 ↔ (↑)<br />
11 ν 0 0.34 0.34 ↑<br />
12 β 0 45.5 45.5 (↓)<br />
Optimisation<br />
direction<br />
the interaction between parameters<br />
11 and 12 have a significant influence<br />
on the energy conversion quality. As<br />
the compression ratio increases, parameter<br />
10 also gains in importance.<br />
Improvement of the screw<br />
compressor by the rotor profile<br />
In the following, the knowledge<br />
gained from the screening will be<br />
used to design a profile that has<br />
the lowest possible specific indicated<br />
power. For this purpose, the<br />
best profile configuration from the<br />
screening is used as a reference profile.<br />
The front section of this profile<br />
is illustrated in Fig. 4 . The figure also<br />
shows the blowhole area and the inter-lobe<br />
clearance. Changes in the<br />
profile parameters primarily affect<br />
these two types of gaps and therefore<br />
influence the energy conversion.<br />
The front gap, the width of which is<br />
limited by the crown circle and root<br />
circle, is constant due to the size.<br />
Since rotor length and wrap are also<br />
constant, the geometry of the housing<br />
gap is also constant. Although the<br />
maximum chamber volume also varies<br />
with the profile parameters, the<br />
influence of the gap flows on the specific<br />
indicated power is dominant.<br />
Before considering the results,<br />
the designation of the compared<br />
profiles should be explained with<br />
the help of Fig. 5. The designation<br />
re ference stands for the best machine<br />
from the screening. The pro-<br />
Part of the DOE is creating a large<br />
enough experimental design to produce<br />
trustworthy results. In order to<br />
first determine which parameters significantly<br />
influence the energy conversion<br />
quality, so-called screening is<br />
carried out. Here, a test plan is created<br />
in which two different levels are<br />
prescribed for the parameters to be<br />
examined, Table 2. The MINITAB software<br />
uses the number of free parameters<br />
to determine the tests to<br />
be performed [Mat05]. A regression<br />
analysis is then carried out during<br />
the statistical evaluation, which provides<br />
an expected range of the target<br />
variable. In addition to the expected<br />
range, the regression analysis provides<br />
a significance value p for the<br />
Fig. 4: Representation of the reference profile in the front section with marking of the<br />
projected blowhole area and the projected inter-lobe clearance<br />
PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong><br />
83
Compressors and Systems<br />
From the research<br />
file is fully represented in Fig. 4. The<br />
desig nation expected is intended to<br />
clarify how the minimisation of the<br />
blowhole area is usually done; namely,<br />
by moving the uppermost interlobe<br />
point as close as possible to the<br />
housing cusp. This makes the blowhole<br />
as small as possible, which can<br />
be seen in the middle of Fig. 5. The<br />
designation in bound stands for an<br />
optimisation of the parameters within<br />
the limits used for the screening<br />
(Table 2), whereas with the designation<br />
off bound the parameters<br />
were shifted beyond the limits of the<br />
screening until a meaningful profile<br />
could no longer be generated.<br />
The results in terms of changes<br />
re lative to the best machine of the<br />
screening (reference) are summarised<br />
in Table 3. In general, they show<br />
that the chosen statistical procedure<br />
leads to the desired result of an improvement<br />
in the specific indicated<br />
power. In particular, it has been<br />
shown that a targeted adjustment of<br />
the profile parameters in the direction<br />
of a small blowhole is not optimal.<br />
Accordingly, it is not only the<br />
blowhole area that should be chosen<br />
as small as pos sible. The width<br />
of the inter-lobe clearance must also<br />
be considered. This is evident from<br />
a variation in the compression ratio.<br />
Here it seems that the influence of<br />
the blowhole dominates at low compression<br />
ratios, so that the specific<br />
indicated power drops. With higher<br />
compression ratios, on the other<br />
hand, the inter-lobe clearance becomes<br />
more important, which means<br />
that further improvement by minimising<br />
the blowhole area alone does<br />
not seem possible.<br />
Ultimately, the “off bound” profile<br />
proves to be optimal, which leads to<br />
a reduction in the specific indicated<br />
power of around 3 %, especially with<br />
larger compression ratios, as a result<br />
of the compromise between blowhole<br />
area and width of the inter-lobe<br />
clearance. However, it should be noted<br />
at this point that, in addition to<br />
the profile, the wrap angle becomes<br />
more important as the compression<br />
ratio increases [Utr21]. This results in<br />
outlet throttling, which increases the<br />
power consumption of the compressor.<br />
Since the wrap angle was kept<br />
constant here, it is not clear to what<br />
extent the optimal profile parameters<br />
change when the wrap angle is<br />
optimised in parallel.<br />
Summary and outlook<br />
In this article, the influence of rotor<br />
profile design on the energy conversion<br />
of a dry screw compressor is investigated.<br />
The basis for profile generation<br />
is the normal rack generation<br />
method according to Wu [Wu08],<br />
which offers 12 parameters for profile<br />
design. The central question is<br />
how the parameters should be selected<br />
in order to design a screw<br />
compressor whose specific power<br />
consumption is as low as possible.<br />
In order to identify the decisive parameters,<br />
a statistical analysis is chosen,<br />
which provides the result that<br />
only 4 parameters have a significant<br />
influence on the specific power consumption.<br />
The targeted setting of these parameters<br />
means that the size of the<br />
blowhole is significantly reduced and<br />
the inter-lobe clearance is somewhat<br />
narrower. As a consequence, the specific<br />
power consumption for all investigated<br />
compression ratios is between<br />
1 % and 2 % lower than that of<br />
a screw compressor whose profile is<br />
designed with a small blowhole area<br />
in mind. In addition to the construction<br />
size, the wrap angle was kept<br />
constant in the analysis. It is known<br />
that this has a significant impact on<br />
the specific power consumption of a<br />
screw compressor. In future work, it<br />
must be clarified to what extent there<br />
is an interaction between the profile<br />
design and the wrap angle of a screw<br />
compressor and how it affects the<br />
specific power consumption.<br />
Fig. 5: Representation of the inter-lobe clearance in the xy plane (left) and the zy plane (right) as well as the blowhole cross section achieved<br />
(middle) for various profile parameters of the profile family from Wu [Wu08]<br />
Table 3: Summary of the optimisation results in relation to the reference machine<br />
Profile Blowhole Inter-lobe clearance Chamber volume<br />
Specific indicated power<br />
Π= 3.5 Π= 5 Π= 6.5<br />
reference 3.74 mm² 160.36 mm 71.54 cm³ 3.11 kWmin/m³ 4.45 kWmin/m³ 5.68 kWmin/m³<br />
expected -70 % +20 % +2.75 % -1.29 % -1.59 % -1.55 %<br />
in Bound -30 % -1 % -0.68 % -0.36 % -0.50 % -0.34 %<br />
off<br />
Bound<br />
-63 % 0 % -0.38 % -2.30 % -2.96 % -3.45 %<br />
84 PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong>
Compressors and Systems<br />
From the research<br />
Bibliography<br />
[Fos03] Fost, C.: A contribution to improving<br />
the chamber filling of screw<br />
engines. Dissertation, University of<br />
Dortmund, 2003.<br />
[Joh05] John, B.; Voorde, V.; Vierendeels,<br />
J.: A Grid Manipulation Algorithm<br />
for ALE Calculations in Screw<br />
Compressors: 17th AIAA Computational<br />
Fluid Dynamics Conference,<br />
2005.<br />
[Kau02] Kauder, K; Janicki, M.; Rohe,<br />
A.; Kliem, B.; Temming, J.: Thermodynamic<br />
Simulation of Rotary Displacement<br />
Machines. VDI Berichte, 1715,<br />
2002.<br />
[Kri78] Krigar, H.: Use of a screw<br />
blower as a blower, pump, press, motor<br />
and measuring device. German<br />
Patent, No. 7116, 1878.<br />
[Mat05] Mathews, P. G.: Design of experiments<br />
with MINITAB. ASQ Quality<br />
Press, Milwaukee, Wis., 2005.<br />
[Nad17] Nadler, K.: Modelling and<br />
Analysis of Screw Vacuum Pumps in<br />
Blower Operation. Dissertation, Technical<br />
University of Dortmund. Logos<br />
Verlag, Berlin, 2017.<br />
[Pev87] Peveling, F.-J.: A contribution<br />
to the optimisation of adiabatic screw<br />
machines in simulation calculations.<br />
Dissertation, University of Dortmund,<br />
1987<br />
[Ran15] Rane, S.; Kovačević, A.; Stošić,<br />
N.: Analytical Grid Generation for accurate<br />
representation of clearances<br />
in CFD for Screw Machines. IOP Conf.<br />
Ser.: Mater. Sci. Eng. 90 012008, 2015.<br />
[Rin79] Rinder, L.: Screw compressor.<br />
Springer, Vienna, Heidelberg, 1979.<br />
[Rin87] Rinder, L.: Special gearing for<br />
screw compressor rotors. VDI Reports<br />
640, pp. 137-150, 1987.<br />
[Sac02] Sachs, R.: Experimental investigation<br />
of gas flows in screw machines.<br />
Dissertation, University of<br />
Dortmund, 2002.<br />
[Sin88] Singh, P. J.; Bowman, J. L.:<br />
Calculation of Blow-Hole Area for<br />
Screw Compressors: International<br />
Compressor Engineering Conference,<br />
Purdue University, USA, 1988.<br />
[Sto05] Stošić, N.; Smith, I.; Kovačević,<br />
A.: Screw compressors. Mathematical<br />
modelling and performance calculation.<br />
Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg,<br />
2005.<br />
[Tem07] Temming, J.: Stationary and<br />
transient operation of an unsynchronised<br />
screw machine charger. Dissertation,<br />
University of Dortmund, 2007<br />
[Utr18a] Utri, M.; Brümmer, A.: Fluid<br />
Flow through Front Clearances of Dry<br />
running screw machines using Dimensionless<br />
Numbers: International<br />
Compressor Engineering Conference,<br />
Purdue University, USA, 2018.<br />
[Utr18b] Utri, M.; Höckenkamp, S.;<br />
Brümmer, A.: Fluid flow through male<br />
rotor housing clearances of dry running<br />
screw machines using dimen-<br />
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Compressors and Systems<br />
From the research<br />
sionless numbers: IOP Conf. Ser.: Mater.<br />
Sci. Eng., S. 12033, 2018.<br />
[Utr19] Utri, M.; Aurich, D. Brümmer,<br />
A.; Wittig, A.; Tillman, W.; Moldenhauer,<br />
H.; Debus, J.: Theoretical investigation<br />
of the mechanical rotor loading<br />
of unsynchronised, dry-running<br />
screw machines. <strong>Process</strong> <strong>Technology</strong><br />
& <strong>Components</strong>, 2019.<br />
[Utr21] Utri, M.: Potential of Non-Constant<br />
Rotor Pitch for Screw Compressors.<br />
Dissertation, Technical University<br />
of Dortmund. Logos Verlag, Berlin,<br />
2021.<br />
[Wu08] Wu, Y.-R.; Fong, Z.-H.: Rotor<br />
Profile Design for the Twin-Screw<br />
Compressor Based on the Normal-<br />
Rack Generation Method. Journal of<br />
Mechanical Design 4/130, 2008.<br />
Symbols and Abbreviations<br />
Symbol Unit Meaning<br />
E i<br />
Wmin⁄m 3 specific indicated power<br />
h J⁄kg specific enthalpy<br />
kg⁄s<br />
mass flow rate<br />
kg<br />
mass<br />
P i<br />
W indicated power<br />
p Pa pressure<br />
p - significance value<br />
Q J heat<br />
t s time<br />
J<br />
internal energy<br />
m 3<br />
volume<br />
- internal volume ratio [-]<br />
m 3 ⁄s<br />
volume flow rate<br />
W J technical work<br />
α - flow coefficient<br />
α - confidence interval<br />
β ° helix angle<br />
ρ kg⁄m 3 density<br />
The Authors:<br />
Matthias Heselmann (MSc),<br />
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Andreas Brümmer –<br />
Chair of Fluidics, TU Dortmund,<br />
Dortmund, Germany<br />
Index or abbreviation<br />
CFD<br />
compr, end<br />
DOE<br />
f<br />
HD<br />
j<br />
max<br />
ND<br />
N-N<br />
th<br />
T-T<br />
Meaning<br />
computational fluid dynamics<br />
compression end<br />
design of experiments<br />
delivered<br />
high pressure<br />
index<br />
maximum<br />
low pressure<br />
normal plane<br />
theoretical<br />
front section plane<br />
86 PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong>
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Compressors and Systems<br />
Test air supply system for energy research<br />
Research into energy system transformation<br />
Highly complex, extremely flexible test air supply system<br />
for energy research<br />
Sebastian Meißler<br />
For the new research building<br />
“Dynamics of Energy Conversion” at<br />
the Leibniz University of Hannover,<br />
AERZEN has built an experimental<br />
air supply system, which is unrivalled<br />
in terms of precision, dynamics,<br />
complexity and size, and<br />
places the energy technology research<br />
facility in Garbsen among the<br />
top 10 worldwide.<br />
Renewable energy is the future, but<br />
what is good for the climate presents<br />
power plants with special challenges.<br />
This is because sun and wind<br />
are not always available, and fluctuate<br />
according to weather conditions,<br />
time of day and season. The consequence<br />
is peak loads and undersupply.<br />
However, existing power generation<br />
plants are not designed for such<br />
fluctuations. In order to ensure security<br />
of supply and system stability in<br />
the future, power plants must operate<br />
more dynamically and guarantee<br />
fast start-up and efficient partial load<br />
behaviour.<br />
Solutions for energy system<br />
transformation<br />
But how do power plant components<br />
behave under changing loads? The Institute<br />
of Turbomachinery and Fluid<br />
Dynamics (TFD) at the Leibniz University<br />
of Hannover (LUH) deals with<br />
questions like this. Since September<br />
2019, one of the world's most modern<br />
research facilities has been avail able<br />
to scientists for this purpose. The<br />
new research building “Dynamics of<br />
Energy Conversion” (DEW) of the research<br />
association of the same name<br />
is home to approximately 2,000<br />
square meters of test benches for experiments<br />
on turbomachinery and<br />
power plant components such as motors,<br />
generators, turbines, diffusers<br />
and compressors, and enables tests<br />
of up to 6 MW. The facility thus closes<br />
the gap between typical university<br />
laboratory experiments, which generally<br />
have a power output of only a few<br />
hundred kilowatts, and the testing of<br />
industrial prototypes with many hundreds<br />
of megawatts.<br />
Energy technology research<br />
at a new level<br />
The heart of the building, on the newly<br />
opened Mechanical Engineering<br />
Campus in Garbsen, is the large compressor<br />
station of the Aerzen-based<br />
company. The plant supplies the individual<br />
test benches with compressed<br />
air and meets the highest requirements<br />
for controllability, measuring<br />
accuracy, flow quality, repeatability<br />
and consistency. “Research into complex<br />
flow phenomena in high-performance<br />
turbomachines requires technologies<br />
that can precisely provide<br />
and repeat inlet and outlet conditions<br />
and mass flows. This is the only way<br />
to achieve the flow speeds and stage<br />
pressure ratios found in modern turbomachines<br />
as realistically as possible,”<br />
explains the Head of R&D at<br />
the application speciaist, and adds:<br />
“With our test air supply system, the<br />
test benches can be operated dynamically<br />
with almost freely selectable<br />
load ramps and investigations can<br />
be carried out under high load gradients<br />
over wide operating ranges. To<br />
generate aerodynamic similarity between<br />
reality and model test, both<br />
Mach and Reynolds number can be<br />
adjusted – independently of each<br />
other. The actual operation of existing<br />
and future turbomachines can<br />
thus be optimally mapped.” Thanks<br />
to the new possibilities, the TFD and<br />
the energy technolo gy research at<br />
Leibniz University are among the top<br />
10 leading research centres in the<br />
world in this field.<br />
Successful premiere: blower specialist<br />
as plant manufacturer<br />
For over 150 years the name of the<br />
mechanical engineering company<br />
from Lower Saxony has stood for innovative,<br />
efficient compressor technology<br />
that is precisely tailored to<br />
the respective process. For Garbsen,<br />
Fig. 1: The test air supply system of the mechanical engineering company from Aerzen meets<br />
the highest requirements for controllability, measuring accuracy, flow quality, repeatability<br />
and constancy. (Photos © : Aerzener Maschinenfabrik GmbH)<br />
88 PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong>
Compressors and Systems<br />
Test air supply system for energy research<br />
the application specialists not only<br />
supplied the blower and compressor<br />
packages, but also appeared for the<br />
first time as plant engineers and were<br />
responsible for the design, planning,<br />
manufacture, assembly and commissioning<br />
of the entire plant, including<br />
the measurement and control technology.<br />
The business unit Special<br />
Purpose Machine Construction (<strong>Process</strong><br />
Gases) was in charge of the development<br />
and construction in close<br />
co operation with LUH and the TFD.<br />
They were supported by a multitude<br />
of external and internal partners.<br />
Maximum precision and flexibility<br />
The test air supply system (total<br />
dimensions: 82 x 15 x 9 m.) comprises<br />
a compressor station with a multistage<br />
compression, a cascaded bypass<br />
for fine control of the mass flow,<br />
a central mass flow measuring section,<br />
an air distribution system to and<br />
from the test benches including piping,<br />
valves, silencers, coolers, stilling<br />
chambers and supporting steel structure<br />
as well as a sophisticated control<br />
system for selecting different operating<br />
modes, types, configurations and<br />
test bench inlet conditions.<br />
The test benches work with expansion<br />
ratios between 1 and 6. The<br />
inlet pressure ranges from 1 to 8 bar<br />
(abs) with a maximum mass flow of<br />
25 kg/s (90,000 kg/h). Under all conditions,<br />
the inlet temperatures can be<br />
controlled between 60 and 200 °C.<br />
The system can be operated in both<br />
open and closed control loops, is designed<br />
for stationary as well as transient<br />
(± 30 % of the maximum volume<br />
flow per minute) operation and<br />
Fig. 3: Maximum flexibility: volume flow, temperature and pressure are freely definable and<br />
can be regulated independently and maintained constant.<br />
can be either pressure or mass flow<br />
controlled. Volume flow, temperature<br />
and pressure are freely definable and<br />
can be regulated independently. To<br />
achieve the desired flexibility and dynamics,<br />
and in particular to meet the<br />
requirement for extreme accuracy,<br />
the engineers were driven to deliver<br />
technical high performance. For example,<br />
the deviation of the volume<br />
flow is just 0.015 m 3 /s – and that with<br />
an effective maximum value of up to<br />
80,000 m 3 /s. The average static pressure<br />
can be set to an accuracy of 0.5<br />
millibar and the average static temperature<br />
fluctuates by a maximum of<br />
0.3 K, to give just a few examples.<br />
Make 5 out of 1<br />
The central mass flow measurement<br />
is also unparalleled, with a total uncertainty<br />
of only 0.55 percent. “The control<br />
requirements were higher than<br />
the inaccuracies of normal measurement<br />
technology,” emphasizes the<br />
Project Manager Supply <strong>Process</strong> Gas<br />
at the mechanical engineering company.<br />
The test air from the supply line<br />
in DN 700 is distributed via a diffuser<br />
to five parallel ultrasonic gas meters<br />
(4 x DN 500 and 1 x DN 200). The<br />
number of active lines depends on<br />
the flow rate and is auto matically regulated<br />
by the control system, so that<br />
all gas meters are operated with the<br />
lowest measurement uncertainty. In<br />
order to achieve an even distribution<br />
of the flow to the individual measuring<br />
sections and uniform velocity profiles<br />
at the gas meters, flow rectifiers<br />
were connected upstream of the individual<br />
gas meters and the diffuser<br />
including the upstream pipe bends<br />
were flow simulated. In addition, vortex<br />
generators are installed at the diffuser<br />
inlet and special components<br />
are fitted to reduce the outlet area.<br />
The splitting of the mass flow measurement<br />
section became necessary<br />
due to the size of the project. “There<br />
was simply no transportable gas meter<br />
in DN 700 for the in-situ calibration<br />
required by the TFD,” says the<br />
Project Manager.<br />
Multi-stage compression<br />
Fig. 2: The entire test air supply system has a size of 82 x 15 x 9 m.<br />
The thermodynamic treatment of the<br />
test air is carried out in the compressor<br />
1 station (total size: 27 x 15 x 9 m).<br />
PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong><br />
89
Compressors and Systems<br />
Test air supply system for energy research<br />
As a first stage, this uses two parallelconnected<br />
Roots blowers, each with stage consists of two parallel screw<br />
outlet pressure: 4.3 bar). The second<br />
an inlet volume flow between 9,600 compressors with an inlet volume<br />
and 48,600 m³/h and a maximum pressure<br />
difference of 0.8 bar (inlet pres-<br />
and a maximum pressure difference<br />
flow between 6,900 and 21,600 m³/h<br />
sures between 0.2 and 3.5 bar, max. of 10 bar (inlet pressures between 0.2<br />
Fig. 4: One of the two parallel connected screw compressors.<br />
and 3.5 bar, max. outlet pressure: 9<br />
bar). All four machines are driven by<br />
separate electric motors (690 V) with<br />
speed control and can be operated at<br />
variable speeds in single or tandem<br />
operation. Due to its modular design,<br />
the compressor station is extremely<br />
flexible and has an extraordinarily<br />
large control range. Low pressures are<br />
taken over by the positive displacement<br />
blowers, for medium pressures<br />
the screw compressors start up and<br />
high pressures can be achieved with a<br />
two-stage operation of the blower and<br />
screw compressor.<br />
The supplier has paid special attention<br />
to sound insulation. All four<br />
compressors have two reactive silencers;<br />
the positive displacement blowers<br />
are additionally equipped with two<br />
lambda quarter resonators. This largely<br />
reduces pulsations and their effects.<br />
“The large control range results in an<br />
enormously wide frequency spectrum.<br />
It was a bit of a challenge to get<br />
a grip on the sound,” admits the Head<br />
of R&D. In order to protect the surrounding<br />
research buildings, where,<br />
among other things, highly sensitive<br />
acceleration and vibration tests are<br />
carried out, the machine foundation<br />
was completely decoupled from that<br />
of the compressor room.<br />
Perfection down to the<br />
smallest detail<br />
Fig. 5: With the test air supply system the test benches (here air turbine) can be operated<br />
dynamically with almost freely selectable load ramps.<br />
A special feature of the system is that<br />
it was completely integrated into an<br />
existing building. The challenge was<br />
to deal with the limited space available<br />
and the already fixed statics of<br />
Fig. 6: Model of the compressor room with two screw compressors and two Roots compressors,<br />
which can be connected as required.<br />
Fig. 7: Blower group with numerous<br />
silencers.<br />
90 PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong>
Compressors and Systems<br />
Test air supply system for energy research<br />
the building. For example, around<br />
190 tons of steel were used to dissipate<br />
the resulting forces. In addition,<br />
virtually all components and parts of<br />
the system were specially designed<br />
and manufactured – starting with the<br />
mass flow measuring section, the diffuser<br />
and the calming chambers in<br />
front of individual test cells. Even the<br />
pipelines – a good 500 metres in total<br />
(from DN 200 to DN 1,000) – and<br />
most of the pipe bends are anything<br />
but standard. Elaborate flow simulations<br />
and improved corrosion protection<br />
thanks to galvanisation are just a<br />
few of the points that make the difference<br />
here.<br />
Further step towards application<br />
orientation<br />
The two-year construction phase<br />
was preceded by a multi-year planning<br />
phase by the engineers from<br />
Aerzen and Hannover. Due to the<br />
demanding requirements regarding<br />
stability and reproducibility of<br />
the test air, a fully functional scaled<br />
functional model 2 with a power of<br />
300 kW was built for testing and pretesting<br />
the measurement and control<br />
technology. “We have many years<br />
of experience in the field of process<br />
gas technology, but this project was<br />
something special – and not just because<br />
of its size and complexity,”<br />
says the Project Manager. “For the<br />
first time, we were able to demonstrate<br />
our plant engineering competence,<br />
and that right away with a project<br />
of this magnitude. After all, this is<br />
the largest domestic order in the history<br />
of our company.” With success.<br />
Lower Saxony's Minister President<br />
successfully started the first run at<br />
the campus inauguration in September<br />
2019. Final commissioning followed<br />
in 2020.<br />
References<br />
1<br />
All details about development and<br />
construction of the compressor station<br />
in: H Fleige, M Henke 2019. Design<br />
and construction of a test air<br />
supply system for dynamic turbomachinery<br />
testing. International Rotating<br />
Equipment Conference 2019,<br />
Wiesbaden.<br />
2<br />
More information about the functional<br />
model in: L de Buhr, H Fleige, J<br />
Seume 2018. Model tests on the control<br />
behaviour of a test air supply system<br />
in open or closed-loop operation.<br />
IOP Conf. Ser.: Mater. Sci. Eng.<br />
425 012021.<br />
The Author: Sebastian Meißler,<br />
Marketing, Communication &<br />
Branding Maschinenfabrik Aerzen<br />
GmbH, Aerzen, Germany<br />
The right compressor solution for every gas<br />
Our comprehensive expertise and experience of more than 85 years in the compressed air and gas business<br />
ensure we can fulfil your requirements – whatever technical or process gas it may be. And if we can‘t offer a<br />
standard product to meet your needs, we will supply a tailor-made solution – wherever in the world you need it.<br />
Two hermetically gas-tight series in particular stand out from the extensive product portfolio, which were<br />
developed for the most modern gas applications:<br />
hermetically gas-tight<br />
up to 500 barg<br />
oil-free, dry-running & hermetically<br />
gas-tight up to 450 barg<br />
Inlet Pressure: 0.05 – 16 barg<br />
Final Pressure: 40 – 500 barg<br />
Max. Power: 105 kW<br />
Volume Flow: 120 – 400 m³/h<br />
Inlet Pressure: max. 30 barg<br />
Final Pressure: 100 – 450 barg<br />
Max. Power: 10 – 30 kW<br />
Volume Flow: 20 – 66 m³/h<br />
www.sauercompressors.com<br />
PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong><br />
91
Compressors and Systems<br />
Biomethane as a fuel<br />
Using biomethane as a fuel – making climate<br />
protection economical!<br />
Helai Haniss<br />
Since 01.01.2021, new rules apply in<br />
the area of renewable energy subsidies,<br />
which force operators of biogas<br />
production plants to rethink: The<br />
subsidy entitlement from the “Renewable<br />
Energy Sources Act” (EEG)<br />
for the first generation of so-called<br />
“renewable energy (RE) plants”,<br />
which were subsidized for the last 20<br />
years, has expired. This circumstance<br />
will affect an increasing number of<br />
sites in the future. However, for environmental<br />
and energy reasons, it<br />
would make absolutely no sense to<br />
discontinue operations. The good<br />
news is that despite the discontinuation<br />
of subsidies, operators have an<br />
economically interesting solution if<br />
they switch to an intelligent self-consumption<br />
concept. In this case, the<br />
fuel produced is not fully fed into the<br />
grid, as was previously the case, but<br />
is used – in a particularly attractive financial<br />
way – for tax-free refueling of<br />
the operator's own fleet.<br />
In recent years, the processing of biogas<br />
produced in the plant into biomethane<br />
has become increasingly<br />
established. As a CO 2<br />
-neutral alternative<br />
to fossil natural gas, it has great<br />
climate protection potential. The political<br />
and economic conditions are currently<br />
more favourable than ever: with<br />
around 10,000 biogas plants, Germany<br />
is the frontrunner in terms of production<br />
[as of 2021].<br />
The market is currently developing<br />
rapidly: biomethane had already<br />
been subsidized by means of feed-in<br />
tariffs for the last 20 years since the<br />
EEG 2000 decision came into force.<br />
The new resolution of 2021 stipulates<br />
that by 2050, electricity generated<br />
in Germany should be 100 % greenhouse-neutral.<br />
Furthermore, the EU's<br />
RED II27 (Renewable Energy Directive)<br />
sets a greenhouse gas reduction quota<br />
that requires companies to increase<br />
the share of renewable energy in fuels<br />
to 14 % by 2030.<br />
Refuelling solutions – climate protection<br />
with a system<br />
tegration into existing infrastructures.<br />
complicated installation as well as in-<br />
Tailored to the respective requirements,<br />
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As a premium manufacturer and pioneer<br />
in the field of natural gas compression<br />
with more than 40 years of available, as the following examples<br />
dium and high daily outputs are<br />
global experience, BAUER KOMPRES- illustrate:<br />
SOREN offers the necessary state-ofthe-art<br />
technology in the form of customized<br />
turnkey refuelling systems tion – A compact and particularly<br />
Waldkraiburg depot filling sta-<br />
from a single source. As a sustainability-oriented<br />
company certified in ac-<br />
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cordance with ISO 14001, the highest The energy provider ESB Südbayern<br />
value is placed on actively promoting had a filling station designed here for<br />
the achievement of climate protection its Waldkraiburg depot to refuel its<br />
and energy transition goals. It therefore<br />
strongly supports the continued ing of natural gas-powered minivans.<br />
own customer service fleet, consist-<br />
operation of expiring RE plants in the Public refuelling was not planned. In<br />
biomethane sector. In general, the accordance with the customer's requirements,<br />
the supplier focused in<br />
supplier’s refuelling systems are designed<br />
for operation with biomethane<br />
as well as with classic natural gas. economic efficiency when designing<br />
particular on a compact design and<br />
They usually consist of a high- or medium-pressure<br />
compressor unit tai-<br />
The small and compact module<br />
the system.<br />
lored to the refuelling requirements, consists of a compressor with volume<br />
a gas drying and filter system, the appropriate<br />
storage solution and the 36.7 kg/h, intake pressures between<br />
flows between 11–51 Nm 3 /h, or 7.9–<br />
dispenser. The sophisticated modular 0.05–4 barg and an output pressure<br />
system design enables fast and un-<br />
of 300 bar. In continuous operation,<br />
Fig. 1: Waldkraiburg Mini Fill ECO 120 (B800, Fast fill post)<br />
92 PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong>
Compressors and Systems<br />
Biomethane as a fuel<br />
the daily delivery rate of the compressor<br />
unit is between 190–880 kg<br />
in 24 h. The unit has integrated filter<br />
and post-drying cartridges installed<br />
on the high-pressure side, which<br />
clean the compressed gas and remove<br />
the residual moisture from it.<br />
The high-pressure gas storage<br />
system is made up of individual highpressure<br />
cylinders mounted together<br />
on a frame. The standard capacity<br />
is up to 42 high-pressure storage<br />
cylinders, each with a filling volume<br />
of 80 litres per storage module.<br />
Thus, capacities of 265 m 3 up to 1105<br />
m 3 natu ral gas geometric filling volume<br />
at 300 bar can be realized.<br />
Since no public refuelling is planned<br />
here, a “Fill post” is used as a<br />
dispenser. This model was specially<br />
developed for simple, temperaturecompensated<br />
and cost-saving refuelling.<br />
The dispenser series is very<br />
often used in natural gas fueling stations<br />
at depots, especially when they<br />
are not staffed.<br />
Depending on the fill size of the<br />
refuelling volume and the compressor<br />
model, refuelling times of about<br />
5 minutes are achieved when using<br />
the “Fast fill post” version used here.<br />
For applications where the refuelling<br />
time is not of primary importance,<br />
the Munich-based manufacturer offers<br />
as a variant the “Slow fill post”<br />
without integrated storage module.<br />
Here, the vehicles are refuelled directly<br />
from the compressor. For technical<br />
reasons, the refuelling times<br />
vary greatly. An ideal application scenario<br />
is the refuelling of vehicles during<br />
the night hours.<br />
duced biomethane. As there were no<br />
suitable refuelling facilities in the immediate<br />
vicinity, the company decided<br />
to build its own station near the<br />
factory premises and commissioned<br />
the Bavarian supplier to carry out<br />
the project planning and turnkey installation.<br />
The significantly higher refuelling<br />
volume required resulted in<br />
a completely different requirement<br />
profile: With a delivery volume of<br />
almost 500 m 3 /h, the station is designed<br />
to safely supply the company's<br />
current 20 semi-trailer trucks during<br />
ongoing operation and also offers<br />
generous reserves to easily cover the<br />
planned expansion of the fleet to 30<br />
trucks. Thanks to its modular design,<br />
the refuelling capacity can be further<br />
expanded at a later date by installing<br />
additional storage banks.<br />
Biomethane/natural gas complete<br />
refuelling systems, which are installed<br />
stand-alone, are built in container<br />
solutions.<br />
Fig. 2: B800 Storage module<br />
Fig. 4: Coesfeld CS 26.12 (B3360, Gilbarco dispenser)<br />
Fig. 3: Fast fill/slow fill post dispensing<br />
station<br />
Biogas filling station Coesfeld –<br />
Powerful stand-alone solution in<br />
container design<br />
The organic wholesaler Weiling<br />
GmbH from Coesfeld, west of Münster,<br />
is also consistently focusing on<br />
sustainability. In the future, the vehicle<br />
fleet for transporting products to<br />
customers throughout Germany will<br />
be powered by regeneratively pro-<br />
Compared to the installation in Waldkraiburg,<br />
the much larger and more<br />
powerful module consists of a compressor<br />
with a volume flow of 500<br />
Nm 3 /h, or 360 kg/h, an intake pressure<br />
of 3.9 barg and an output pressure<br />
of 300 bar. In continuous operation,<br />
the compressor module delivers<br />
8640 kg of biomethane in a 24-hour<br />
period. Integrated filter and post-drying<br />
cartridges installed on the high-<br />
PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong><br />
93
Compressors and Systems<br />
Biomethane as a fuel<br />
pressure side clean the compressed<br />
gas and remove residual moisture<br />
from it.<br />
As in most applications, the storage<br />
is used here as a 3-bank system<br />
consisting of three individual substorages,<br />
the high, medium and low<br />
banks. This division allows an optimum<br />
utilization rate. Thanks to the<br />
larger quantity of gas available, vehicle<br />
refuelling can be carried out in immediate<br />
succession.<br />
Fig. 5: B3360 Storage module<br />
The filling and refuelling control regulates<br />
the priority filling of the high-<br />
pressure accumulator and the sequential<br />
gas withdrawal from the high-pressure<br />
accumulator. It is pos sible to control<br />
one or more filling lines.<br />
Fig. 6: Priority order monitoring control<br />
(VRÜ)<br />
The dispensing device can be designed<br />
with a flow measuring device<br />
(display of the dispensed refuelling<br />
quantity in kg or m³) as well as a display<br />
field with the indication of the<br />
specific gas price as well as the total<br />
price in the desired currency. The filling<br />
and refuelling control system regulates<br />
the filling process and thus ensures<br />
economical refueling with short<br />
filling times at the same time.<br />
For the operation of a public service<br />
station, the use of a fuel dispenser<br />
is required by law. The display<br />
shows both the unit price, the<br />
quantity refuelled and the final price<br />
at the same time. The dispensers are<br />
available with one or two hoses and<br />
with one or two devices for mass flow<br />
measurement. This allows either separate<br />
or simultaneous vehicle refuelling<br />
on both sides of the dispenser.<br />
With an automatic fuel dispenser, it<br />
is possible to realize an accounting of<br />
the fuel data without a manned cashier's<br />
store. With regard to operation,<br />
the different fuel dispenser models<br />
can be optionally tailored to fleet<br />
card operation and/or credit card operation.<br />
All of the company’s large<br />
systems offer interfaces for optional<br />
connection to an Internet-capable PC<br />
or cell phone. This allows the operator<br />
to monitor the operating status<br />
remotely around the clock.<br />
Comprehensive and seamless<br />
project management – a core<br />
competence<br />
According to customer specifications<br />
and in close consultation, BAUER project<br />
engineers first select the best location<br />
for the filling station. Special<br />
focus is placed on exact compliance<br />
with applicable legal regulations.<br />
By minimizing explosion protection<br />
zones and tailoring the size of the refuelling<br />
systems, the supplier is able<br />
to find an optimal solution for installation<br />
even in difficult space conditions.<br />
After installation, the complete<br />
piping of the system including<br />
all pressure lines from the compressor<br />
to the storage tank and further to<br />
the dispensing point or dispenser is<br />
carried out according to the relevant<br />
guidelines. This is followed by an inspection<br />
by an approved acceptance<br />
organization, such as the TÜV. The<br />
Fig. 7: Dispenser unit with billing system<br />
project team coordinates the necessary<br />
scheduling with the companies<br />
and authorities involved.<br />
Service technicians carry out the<br />
electrical wiring of both the compressor<br />
unit and the dispenser/dispenser<br />
in accordance with the agreed<br />
plans. Only a high-voltage connection<br />
must be provided by the operator.<br />
After installation, the compressor<br />
unit is booted for the first time and<br />
thoroughly checked again.<br />
The supplier takes over the entire<br />
project organization. It ranges from<br />
the installation and commissioning<br />
of the compressor storage unit and<br />
the dispenser technology to the precise<br />
coordination of deadlines. As a<br />
result, commissioning can usually<br />
take place after just a few days. After<br />
a successful assembly at the installation<br />
site, the installation is inspected<br />
by an expert. This acceptance at the<br />
installation site is also carried out by<br />
the service team together with the respective<br />
supervisory authority. The<br />
comprehensive service also includes<br />
detailed instruction of authorized<br />
persons of the client in the technology<br />
and electrics of the system so that<br />
the operator of the system can carry<br />
out basic settings and simple maintenance<br />
work independently.<br />
On request, seamless monitoring<br />
of the compressor unit is offered in<br />
94 PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong>
Compressors and Systems<br />
Biomethane as a fuel<br />
conjunction with a 24 h service<br />
and after-sales. Changes in settings<br />
or adjustments can then<br />
be made around the clock online<br />
via the Internet or via a mobile<br />
phone connection. Status<br />
reports on operating hours and<br />
sales of gas volumes sold can be<br />
transmitted via SMS or e-mail,<br />
as can maintenance requests or<br />
fault reports.<br />
References<br />
https://www.wemag.com/<br />
aktuelles-presse/blog/anstehende-eeg-novelle-waspassiert-nach-der-eegfoerderung#:~:text=Ab%20<br />
01.01.2021%20verlieren%20<br />
nun,PV%2DAnlagen%20betroffen.<br />
The Author: Helai Haniss<br />
Sales- and Project Engineer<br />
Fuel Gas Systems,<br />
BAUER KOMPRESSOREN,<br />
Munich, Germany<br />
Biomethane injection – Munichbased<br />
company supplies the<br />
technology<br />
In addition to filling stations, the<br />
compressor manufacturer from<br />
Munich has also developed special<br />
compressor systems for the<br />
area of biomethane production<br />
based on its many years of expertise<br />
and has successfully established<br />
them on the market.<br />
Among other things, they are<br />
used for seasonal compensation<br />
of transport fluctuations and network<br />
overloads: In case of overload<br />
of a low-pressure pipeline,<br />
e. g. due to increased biomethane<br />
feed-in, the excess natural<br />
gas-biomethane mixture can be<br />
fed into a higher-quality network.<br />
In this way, existing buffer volumes<br />
in high-pressure transport<br />
networks are better utilized. Biomethane<br />
is fed into a natural<br />
gas network in different network<br />
types with pressure ratings from<br />
PN10 to max. PN100.<br />
Shaping the future today:<br />
Climate-neutral mobility with<br />
hydrogen!<br />
Based on its sustainability-oriented<br />
corporate philosophy, the<br />
company stands uncompromisingly<br />
for climate-friendly mobility<br />
concepts. For this reason, the<br />
technology-leading mechanical<br />
engineering group and member<br />
of the Center Hydrogen.Bavaria<br />
(H2.B), is consistently supporting<br />
the broad establishment of<br />
this energy carrier of the future<br />
with a recently launched development<br />
offensive for H 2<br />
filling<br />
station systems.
Compressed air technology<br />
Container stations<br />
Container stations<br />
Compressed air from a container<br />
Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Gerhart Hobusch, Daniela Koehler<br />
When contemplating dependable<br />
compressed air supply solutions,<br />
container stations are well-worth<br />
considering. They are lean, flexible<br />
and quick to use, yet offer the same<br />
efficiency, economy and reliability<br />
as permanently installed stations.<br />
Moreover, they are available in a<br />
vast range of configurations to meet<br />
every compressed air need.<br />
Container solutions offer an almost<br />
limitless range of possibilities,<br />
whether as prefabricated systems<br />
that can be deployed on site at short<br />
notice, or as custom-tailored systems<br />
that are configured and designed to<br />
meet an operator's specific requirements.<br />
They can also be used as a<br />
temporary solution to bridge compressed<br />
air bottlenecks, as an interim<br />
solution or as a permanently installed<br />
solution. Whether owned,<br />
rented or implemented on the basis<br />
of an operator model, their design<br />
is as versatile as their potential<br />
fields of application. Container solutions<br />
can be adapted to meet any<br />
need, including mining, offshore oil<br />
platforms, hot desert environments<br />
and every conceivable category of industrial<br />
production worldwide. Comfortable<br />
even in harsh conditions,<br />
they can be operated in temperature<br />
ranges from -20 °C to +45 °C and various<br />
companies throughout the world<br />
are already enjoying the benefits that<br />
these versatile compressed air supply<br />
solutions have to offer.<br />
One of the core advantages of<br />
these container solutions is that they<br />
can be installed almost anywhere<br />
on site, ready for operation, with reduced<br />
costs and minimised set-up<br />
time. This is particularly valuable<br />
when space is at a premium, or if a<br />
company is undergoing expansion,<br />
for example, and space is tight, since<br />
they can be placed on the roof or directly<br />
next to an existing building.<br />
They are also an interesting alternative<br />
as a supplement to an existing<br />
station or as a replacement for it. If,<br />
for example, the room in which the<br />
compressed air supply was previously<br />
located is required for production<br />
purposes due to capacity expansion,<br />
a container that is installed outside<br />
the building can free up available<br />
space within the building.<br />
As with spatially integrated stations,<br />
containers can be set up at different<br />
points throughout the plant<br />
and still be connected to one another.<br />
In such cases, the use of a master controller<br />
is recommended, but this will<br />
be covered in greater detail later on.<br />
Ready-to-run solutions<br />
The quickest option is to use prefabricated<br />
container solutions. These readyto-run<br />
solutions are ideal, particularly<br />
Fig. 1+1.1: Container solutions for compressed air generation are exceptionally versatile and<br />
can be used in all branches of industry and in virtually any location.<br />
96 PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong>
Compressed air technology<br />
Container stations<br />
when it comes to bridging short-term<br />
compressed air bottlenecks or as an<br />
option if your own station needs to be<br />
converted or maintained, as they are<br />
also readily available on a rental basis<br />
at short notice.<br />
Mobile and space-saving, these<br />
containers house a complete compressed<br />
air station that provides<br />
a quiet and dependable supply of<br />
quali ty compressed air when- and<br />
wherever it is needed. These stations<br />
are well-suited for operators<br />
requiring especially high compressed<br />
air quali ty, such as in the pharmaceutical<br />
or food sectors, because the rotary<br />
screw compressor not only uses<br />
oil-free compression internally, but is<br />
also equipped with an integrated rotation<br />
dryer that achieves pressure<br />
dew points down to -30 °C. What is<br />
more, thanks to this innovative drying<br />
method, no condensate – or ice in<br />
winter – can form in the compressed<br />
air line downstream from the container.<br />
An additional mobile dryer<br />
module is therefore not necessary.<br />
Other compressed air treatment<br />
components such as activated carbon<br />
units and micro-fine filters can<br />
also be used if required. Standard<br />
container dimensions guarantee rapid<br />
and straightforward transportation<br />
of these “plug-and-play” stations.<br />
Thanks to an easy-to-use connector<br />
panel for pipes and cables,<br />
the container station can be put into<br />
immediate operation virtually anywhere,<br />
and can be up-and-running<br />
exceptionally quickly in the event<br />
of an operational emergency. Since<br />
Fig. 2: The container is home to a custom-made compressed air station.<br />
the container features sophisticated tainer solution, as offered by leading<br />
soundproofing, it can be operated in compressed air systems providers.<br />
city centres or in the vicinity of office For this variant, like with planning for<br />
or residential buildings without issue. any compressed air supply, actual demand<br />
and the application for which<br />
Furthermore, insulation and heating<br />
ensure that the station can be used in the compressed air is being used determine<br />
system design and the type<br />
almost all temperature and weather<br />
conditions.<br />
of components that are to be used<br />
Should more compressed air be in the resulting container station.<br />
required than a single station can supply,<br />
it is possible to connect several of should therefore be performed by<br />
All compressed air station planning<br />
these prefabricated container stations specially trained engineers in close<br />
in parallel and therefore cover almost consultation with the station operator.<br />
Professional expertise is impor-<br />
any compressed air demand.<br />
tant not because it is a case of simply<br />
Customised solutions<br />
placing a compressor in a container,<br />
but because there are many other aspects<br />
to consider when designing a<br />
Operators with special requirements<br />
for compressed air quality and volume<br />
can opt for a customised conready-mentioned<br />
matching of<br />
system like this. Starting with the al-<br />
com-
Compressed air technology<br />
Container stations<br />
Fig. 3: When things are urgent, prefabricated container solutions can be on site quickly and<br />
easily and are ready-to-run.<br />
ponents, the process also involves<br />
planning for piping, cooling, heating,<br />
the controller with monitoring and<br />
much more. During this phase, in addition<br />
to the required operating parameters,<br />
the prevailing environmental<br />
conditions such as temperature,<br />
dust exposure, humidity and other<br />
specific characteristics are also scrutinised<br />
in detail.<br />
In an ideal case, the container itself<br />
is an insulated steel container<br />
that is statically designed in such a<br />
way that it can be lifted at the corners.<br />
It is completely piped and wired and<br />
includes a control cabinet with power<br />
distribution, an automatic ventilation<br />
system, heating and lighting. The precise<br />
implementation, however, depends<br />
on the respective operator's<br />
wishes and requirements.<br />
Insulation is necessary for several<br />
reasons. One of the most important,<br />
especially if the container is to<br />
be placed in inhabited areas, for example,<br />
is soundproofing. Compressors,<br />
dryers and above all fans for<br />
ventilation generate noise. Effective<br />
and well-thought-out insulation is<br />
therefore needed to ensure that this<br />
noise does not propagate outwards<br />
excessively and that all required specifications<br />
and stipulations are met.<br />
Insulation is also important if<br />
ambient temperatures are not constantly<br />
in a range that is optimal for<br />
compressed air generation. When<br />
temperatures outside are below 0 °C,<br />
the temperature inside the container<br />
should not drop below +3 °C to ensure<br />
that any condensate does not<br />
freeze and the viscosity of the oil<br />
in the components, for example, is<br />
maintained. This is where a standstill<br />
heater can help. Conversely, the<br />
same principle applies to hot temperatures,<br />
where an effective ventilation<br />
and cooling concept plays a major<br />
role in ensuring consistently high efficiency,<br />
economy and compressed air<br />
generation performance.<br />
Special consideration should also<br />
be given to environmental aspects.<br />
For example, the container floors<br />
should be able to be designed to<br />
act as an oil-tight pan so that harmful<br />
substances cannot seep into the<br />
ground. It also goes without saying<br />
that ecologically-responsible drainage<br />
of any condensate that may occur<br />
inside is also important.<br />
Operators who opt for a container<br />
solution are well advised to ensure<br />
that the provider has tested the completed<br />
station before delivery to confirm<br />
that the configuration works correctly<br />
and the station can therefore<br />
be operated immediately following<br />
installation at the factory premises.<br />
Even stronger together<br />
Just like their standard counterparts,<br />
customised container solutions can<br />
also be combined. In this case, care<br />
should be taken to ensure that they<br />
can be operated both individually<br />
and in combination with one another.<br />
This is made possible by a master<br />
controller.<br />
The master controller for all compressed<br />
air generation and treatment<br />
components not only controls and<br />
monitors the individual components<br />
or containers, but also optimises<br />
pressure performance, among other<br />
aspects, automatically adjusts compressed<br />
air station delivery rate in the<br />
event of fluctuating compressed air<br />
demand, optimises energy efficiency<br />
based on control losses, switching<br />
losses and pressure flexibility and<br />
also provides compressed air station<br />
capability for services such as predictive<br />
maintenance. Up-to-the-minute<br />
key figures for energy data are also<br />
generated and provide the basis for<br />
energy management according to ISO<br />
50001. This not only enhances operational<br />
reliability and efficiency, but<br />
also reduces energy costs. The controller<br />
can of course also be integrated<br />
with operators' existing control<br />
systems.<br />
Save money with heat recovery<br />
As self-contained complete systems,<br />
modern rotary screw compressors,<br />
boosters and blowers are particularly<br />
well suited for heat recovery and the<br />
same applies for container stations.<br />
In particular, direct use of waste<br />
heat via an exhaust air duct system<br />
opens up considerable potential for<br />
recycling of used energy. The heated<br />
cooling air from the compressor can<br />
be used easily and effectively to heat<br />
neighbouring rooms via ventilation<br />
ducts, for example. Up to 96 percent<br />
of the electrical power supplied to a<br />
compressor can be used for space or<br />
process heating, which in turn saves<br />
costs and energy thereby increasing<br />
profitability.<br />
The compressor waste heat can<br />
also be used to generate hot water.<br />
Depending on the type of compressor,<br />
this brings further potential for<br />
significant savings.<br />
All-round care in a package<br />
Operators who do not wish to maintain<br />
the station themselves can also<br />
have it monitored remotely. This is<br />
possible if the station has an appro-<br />
98 PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong>
Compressed air technology<br />
Container stations<br />
priately capable management system.<br />
If it does, then the operator can<br />
enter into the world of predictive<br />
maintenance. This feature enables<br />
far more than optimum operatortailored<br />
station control. By monitoring<br />
key figures such as service costs,<br />
reserve level and specific package in-<br />
put power, the user is presented with<br />
a holistic view of the compressed air<br />
system. This ultimately leads to reduced<br />
compressed air generation<br />
and operating costs, as well as improved<br />
compressed air availability.<br />
In addition, compressed air system<br />
energy and life cycle management is<br />
possible throughout the station's entire<br />
service life.<br />
Real-time data management combines<br />
expert knowledge with predictive<br />
service to create intelligent solutions.<br />
This makes it possible to<br />
provide maximum compressed air<br />
supply at low life cycle costs without<br />
the need for additional investment.<br />
Innovative compressed air solutions<br />
providers are able to offer this service<br />
and are happy to help anyone who is<br />
interested by giving them all of the information<br />
they need.<br />
Pay only for the compressed air<br />
Operators who wish to go one step<br />
further no longer purchase the entire<br />
compressed air station, but enter into<br />
a contract with the provider – and it<br />
goes without saying that this is also<br />
the case for container stations. In this<br />
arrangement, the operator simply receives<br />
compressed air in the same<br />
way as a common utility, such as electricity,<br />
and pays only for the actual<br />
volume of compressed air consumed.<br />
Conclusion<br />
Fig. 4+4.1: A master controller not only controls and monitors the station, but is also a prerequisite<br />
for additional services.<br />
Container solutions are a sensible<br />
alternative when things need to be<br />
done in a hurry, where space is tight<br />
or if there is a particular special requirement.<br />
They can usually be installed<br />
without special permits, are<br />
easy to operate and offer the same<br />
performance as a station housed inside<br />
a building. And if the plant layout<br />
of a production company changes,<br />
then the container can simply be<br />
moved or expanded with security of<br />
investment in mind.<br />
Fig. 5: Approximately 96 percent of the energy used to generate compressed air can be reused<br />
for heat recovery, for example<br />
The Authors:<br />
Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Gerhart Hobusch,<br />
Project Engineer,<br />
Dipl. Betriebswirtin Daniela Koehler,<br />
Press Officer; both of Kaeser<br />
Kompressoren, Coburg, Germany<br />
PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong><br />
99
<strong>Components</strong><br />
Novel valve technology<br />
Novel valve technology for<br />
oscillating displacement pumps<br />
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Eberhard Schlücker, Daniel M. Nägel, Dr. Peter Kugel, Philipp Werhan, Michael Feist<br />
Solid-liquid mixtures always pose<br />
challenges for oscillating displacement<br />
pumps – performance depends<br />
on the only wear part, the<br />
check valves, and their condition.<br />
The high dynamics of the opening<br />
and closing processes and the excessive<br />
stress on the materials lead<br />
to wear and tear. Additionally, the<br />
constructions are prone to malfunctions,<br />
which cannot be avoided with<br />
conventional designs. The patented<br />
valve design presented in this article<br />
was developed by FELUWA Pumpen<br />
GmbH together with iPAT Erlangen.<br />
The objective was to avoid known<br />
weak points/phenomena and to increase<br />
the service life of the pumps.<br />
Classic valve technology and<br />
their weak points<br />
Ball, cone and plate valves are most<br />
commonly used in process technology,<br />
with ring plate valves also being<br />
used occasionally (Fig. 1). All valve<br />
types can be optionally equipped<br />
with or without a spring.<br />
The ball valve without spring is<br />
a popular valve for abrasive suspensions,<br />
due to the even wear, as the<br />
ball keeps turning slightly due to the<br />
asymmetric inflow. In fact, the ball<br />
valve may still operate reliably even<br />
when the ball has lost 10 % or more<br />
of its diameter. For precise dosing applications,<br />
double ball valves (Fig. 2)<br />
are used. As the size of the valves increases,<br />
the sealing body is more likely<br />
to be spring loaded to reduce the<br />
closing delay of the valve, but this<br />
results in the loss of ball rotation,<br />
making the function similar to that<br />
of a cone valve. On the other hand,<br />
balls up to 300 mm in diameter are<br />
used for slurry pumps, though these<br />
are hollow balls in order to keep the<br />
closing energy reasonably small here.<br />
Fig. 2: Double ball valve for increased<br />
dosing accuracy<br />
Close-fitting guide ribs ensure that<br />
the ball closes precisely, but at the<br />
risk of larger particles in the slurry<br />
blocking the ball and ball guide. The<br />
stroke frequencies achievable with<br />
ball valves are applicable in the range<br />
up to approx. 180 min -1 and at medium<br />
viscosities.<br />
The plate valve is only designed<br />
without a spring in exceptional cases<br />
(small or very inexpensive pumps).<br />
The spring usually serves as a plate<br />
guide and thus allows for a guide-free<br />
and simple valve casing. The sealing<br />
body mass of a valve plate and with it<br />
the closing energy are relatively small,<br />
which allows for high stroke frequencies.<br />
The freedom in the movement<br />
of the plate caused by the spring<br />
guide often results in an uneven or<br />
non-rotationally symmetrical touchdown.<br />
This leads to valve chattering<br />
and the consequent wear, and suddenly<br />
a small step has to be bridged,<br />
thus allowing leakage currents. This<br />
problem is avoided by using clear and<br />
raised contact surfaces and resistant<br />
or hard materials. The danger of uneven<br />
closing remains, however.<br />
The larger the valves, the greater<br />
the effect of the disadvantages described,<br />
which is why cone valves<br />
are usually used for larger configurations.<br />
They are always spring- loaded<br />
and require guides. This alone results<br />
in the biggest problem of their con-<br />
Fig. 1: Valve types<br />
Ball valve<br />
Cone valve<br />
Plate valve<br />
100 PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong>
<strong>Components</strong><br />
Novel valve technology<br />
struction: the guide needs to be narrow<br />
enough in order to function as<br />
such. The guide diameter is significantly<br />
smaller than the diameter<br />
of the cone plate. If a particle now<br />
gets under the cone, a large bending<br />
moment acts on the transition<br />
between the guide pin and the plate<br />
(step), which can lead to rupture. The<br />
same occurs when the guide is of<br />
low quality: the sealing body touches<br />
down asymmetrically and centrally<br />
slips into the end position.<br />
For this reason, reinforcement<br />
rings made of elastic materials are<br />
used in cone valves. These are chambered<br />
by the installation groove and<br />
mating surface inside the cone and<br />
can buffer the described attacks. At<br />
the same time, this design makes for<br />
optimum use of elastomers, which<br />
also provide a certain degree of wear<br />
resistance when used with slurry.<br />
Fig. 3: Cone valve with additional reinforcement<br />
ring as a buffer for the ensuing positioning<br />
errors.<br />
The above illustrates that a ball valve<br />
without a spring would actually be<br />
the ideal construction for slurry, were<br />
it not for the large mass of the ball<br />
(closing energy and stroke frequency<br />
limitation). On the other hand, plate<br />
valves would be ideal if not for the<br />
problems described. Furthermore,<br />
for designs with guides, there would<br />
have to be a way to buffer the trapping<br />
of particles. Cone valves have<br />
therefore proven to be the best<br />
choice for critical applications with<br />
high flow rates.<br />
The ideal valve<br />
In negative terms, the fluid valves<br />
commonly used today are a necessary<br />
evil. That is, unless a design is<br />
possible that allows for precise closing,<br />
combined with perfect guidance<br />
Fig. 4: Novel valve with spoked diaphragms<br />
where required. When equipped with<br />
two spoked diaphragm guide elements,<br />
this kind of valve is possible.<br />
Fig. 4 shows the ideal valve with<br />
two spoked diaphragms (orange<br />
shown), one above and one below<br />
the sealing body. The spokes are connected<br />
with inner elastomer rings<br />
for clamping positioning in the valve<br />
guide and outer rings that can serve<br />
as sealing elements for the valve<br />
casing. The spokes replace the spring<br />
and at the same time ensure perfect<br />
guidance.<br />
Fig. 5: Novel spoked valve after 900 h of<br />
operation in iron oxide slurry<br />
Initial operating experience with iron<br />
oxide slurry (Miller number 140) led<br />
to astonishing results. After 900<br />
hours of operation, there were little<br />
to no visible signs of wear on either<br />
the spoked diaphragms or the sealing<br />
area. High-speed camera recordings<br />
confirm that this can be attributed<br />
to the flawless guidance through the<br />
spoked diaphragms. This makes this<br />
new type of spoked valve superior to<br />
the previously listed valve types, as<br />
the described functional faults will no<br />
longer occur.<br />
Summary<br />
The presented valve with novel<br />
spoked diaphragm technology (European<br />
patent no. 3497333) represents<br />
an important advance for valve technology<br />
in oscillating displacement<br />
pumps as well as other applications,<br />
and is an optimal solution for pumping<br />
abrasive solid-liquid mixtures. In<br />
contrast to steel components, the<br />
spoked diaphragms made of elastomer<br />
do not show any noticeable<br />
wear, thus have a longer service life<br />
and are suitable for critical applications.<br />
The first long-term tests prove<br />
that the novel design will increase the<br />
availability of positive displacement<br />
pumps and reduce operating costs.<br />
The Authors:<br />
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Eberhard Schlücker,<br />
Friedrich-Alexander University<br />
Erlangen-Nuremberg, Institute of<br />
<strong>Process</strong> Machinery and Systems,<br />
Engineering (IPAT), Erlangen<br />
Daniel Nägel, Managing Director<br />
<strong>Technology</strong>, FELUWA Pumpen GmbH<br />
Dr. Peter Kugel, Product Design,<br />
FELUWA Pumpen GmbH<br />
Philipp Werhan, Product Design,<br />
FELUWA Pumpen GmbH<br />
Michael Feist, PhD student iPAT<br />
Erlangen, Germany<br />
PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong><br />
101
<strong>Components</strong><br />
Innovative double-seat valve<br />
Next level safety: How products<br />
and processes get safer with innovative<br />
valve technology<br />
Hygienic planning of the product<br />
flow and the cleaning process in<br />
the food, beverage and dairy industries<br />
is getting more and more complex<br />
for plant operators. As quality<br />
demands and production loads increase,<br />
process technology requirements<br />
are intensifying. The new mixproof<br />
double-seat valve from GEA is<br />
a good example of how manufacturers<br />
can get more peace of mind and<br />
more control by protecting their sensitive<br />
products and processes even<br />
when something goes wrong.<br />
To meet these challenges, the supplier<br />
has designed the double-seat valve<br />
with a cavity chamber featuring a vacuum<br />
self-drainage as well as balancers<br />
on both valve discs. The design<br />
protects products from contamination<br />
and mixing even under excessive<br />
loads and when other safeguards fail.<br />
“Safe hygienic production protects<br />
consumers and prevents expensive<br />
opposite pipeline while a valve seat is<br />
lifted or during cleaning, even if one<br />
seal is defective. “We’ve got physics<br />
on our side – and we don't need any<br />
extra components for this,” explains<br />
the senior product manager.<br />
Put simply, the Venturi effect<br />
occurs when the static pressure of<br />
a liquid is reduced at the narrowest<br />
point of a cross-section. When<br />
Hygienic reliability is pivotal for the<br />
future viability of production facilities<br />
in the dairy, food, beverage and<br />
pharmaceutical industries: Product<br />
integrity and increasingly stringent<br />
hygiene requirements are the strongest<br />
innovation drivers. With the new<br />
double-seat valve, GEA is giving process<br />
valve users the technical means<br />
to meet the strictest safety standards<br />
for tomorrow’s requirements.<br />
Fig. 2: The leakage chamber’s physically optimized design creates a negative pressure that<br />
directs escaping product to the periphery immediately and without risk of contamination if a<br />
seal fails (Venturi effect).<br />
Fig. 1: With its innovative technology, the<br />
new double-seat valve transcends established<br />
product safety requirements.<br />
(Photos © : GEA)<br />
product recalls and the ensuing losses,”<br />
says an expert in hygienic valve<br />
technology. “Founder Tuchenhagen’s<br />
invention of the double-seat valve was<br />
already a step towards maximizing<br />
product safety, even at that time. Now<br />
we’re deploying our new technology<br />
to meet the challenges facing manufacturing<br />
companies in the future.”<br />
Preventing mixing when seals fail<br />
Double-seat valves are inherently<br />
mixproof. The special design features<br />
of the valve generate the Venturi effect<br />
when the valve seat is lifted, creating<br />
a vacuum at the opposite seal.<br />
This prevents pressure build-up at<br />
both sealing areas on lifting. As a result,<br />
no cleaning fluid can enter the<br />
a product flows through a smoothwalled<br />
pipe, the flow velocity increases<br />
at the narrowed cross-sectional<br />
area, while the local pressure at<br />
this point drops. The Venturi effect<br />
is named after the 18 th century Italian<br />
physicist Giovanni Battista Venturi.<br />
His discovery is based on Bernoulli's<br />
principle, which describes the<br />
conservation of mechanical energy<br />
in inviscid fluid dynamics: The velocity<br />
of an incompressible fluid passing<br />
through a constriction must increase<br />
according to the principle of mass<br />
continuity, while its static pressure<br />
must decrease. If a fluid gains kinetic<br />
energy due to its increased velocity<br />
when it passes through a constriction,<br />
this will be compensated by a<br />
decrease in pressure.<br />
102 PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong>
<strong>Components</strong><br />
Innovative double-seat valve<br />
Double balancers to counteract<br />
overpressure<br />
With new units being built and set<br />
up under increasing time pressure,<br />
the risk of pressure surges and other<br />
overpressure situations during operation<br />
is on the rise. “We have to make<br />
sure that if there are pressure surges,<br />
the valve discs don’t move unexpectedly<br />
and generate an error message,”<br />
explains the expert in hygienic valve<br />
technology. To solve this problem,<br />
the supplier has equipped the valve<br />
discs in both pipelines with balancers<br />
that counteract the product pressure.<br />
The lower balancer neutralizes<br />
the forces acting in the opening direction.<br />
The closed valve can withstand<br />
pressure surges of up to 50 bar.<br />
Fig. 4: Up to four feedback signals provide<br />
the operator with the assurance that the<br />
valve’s operating status is accurately documented<br />
at all times.<br />
tenance-free. This means that service<br />
intervals are longer and processes<br />
are interrupted less frequently.<br />
<strong>Process</strong> control with a valve unit<br />
To ensure maximum control, the hygiene<br />
concept includes the entire<br />
valve unit, including the control head.<br />
Using control heads, the supplier integrates<br />
the double-seat valves into<br />
the automation design features of<br />
the units. This lets the operators<br />
monitor the exact switching position<br />
as well as the positions of the valve at<br />
any time and provides full transparency<br />
of the valve functions, which in<br />
turn makes processes more reliable.<br />
So far, not all industries are using<br />
this valve unit with a valve and<br />
control head. The digital monitoring<br />
and control functions in particular<br />
are a basic prerequisite for Industry<br />
4.0-capable production lines. The<br />
supplier wants to encourage manufacturers<br />
to take this step because<br />
control heads have immense potential<br />
for predictive maintenance and<br />
process sustainability. Digital control<br />
heads would also help plant operators<br />
boost the traceability and verifiability<br />
of the hygienic process chain.<br />
Safe worldwide<br />
Fig. 3: The valve is fitted with specially shaped balancers in both pipes, so it remains stable<br />
in the closed position even when subjected to water hammers. It even stays fully functional if<br />
the medium expands thermally.<br />
Thanks to the design features of the<br />
mixproof valve type, the company<br />
has already been able to pass the<br />
Customized BASIC and<br />
PLUS variants<br />
The new valve is available in two versions:<br />
a PLUS option with all the latest<br />
features in one complete package<br />
and a more economical BASIC variant<br />
with a smaller range of functions,<br />
without a balancer cleaning device.<br />
This feature ensures that the lower<br />
balancer is completely flooded from<br />
the outside when the seat lifts during<br />
CIP cleaning. All surfaces in contact<br />
with the product can be cleaned without<br />
any additional components, and<br />
the product is also protected from<br />
contamination.<br />
In keeping with the standard<br />
valve product range, the actuator unit<br />
of the valves is designed to be main-<br />
Fig. 5: The hygienic design of all components ensures maximum valve cleaning efficiency,<br />
with automatic cleaning of the outer balancer when the valve disc is lifted off the seat.<br />
PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong><br />
103
<strong>Components</strong><br />
Innovative double-seat valve<br />
strict guidelines of the U.S. Pasteurized<br />
Milk Ordinance (PMO) of the<br />
Food and Drug Administration (FDA).<br />
The supplier was the first manufacturer<br />
to supply American dairies with<br />
these PMO double-seat valves, which<br />
allowed milk processors to operate<br />
24 hours a day because production<br />
and cleaning are able to run in parallel.<br />
The tried and tested principle of<br />
the 24/7 PMO valve is a feature that<br />
is consistently applied in the new<br />
valve line and will thus be extended<br />
to new industries and regions beyond<br />
the U.S. dairy farming sector. With its<br />
standard dimensions, it is designed<br />
for worldwide use and meets hygienic<br />
production specifications.<br />
Reinforced safety net<br />
“Protecting sensitive products is already<br />
a top priority. Even so, we’re<br />
seeing producers facing more challenging<br />
conditions: Production speeds<br />
are increasing, regulations are becoming<br />
stricter, end customers are more<br />
informed, new applications in the<br />
plant-based or even new-food sector<br />
have even higher hygiene requirements<br />
– and all these circumstances<br />
call for more comprehensive safety<br />
concepts,” the expert in hygienic valve<br />
technology explains. “The new valve<br />
with its smart elements eases the burden<br />
on plant operators who are responsible<br />
for safety. The valve is basically<br />
a reinforced safety net for our<br />
customers. This gives them the peace<br />
of mind of knowing every day that<br />
their product has a reliable quality<br />
and meets customer expectations in<br />
terms of appearance, taste and consistency.<br />
We’ve set our sights high<br />
for our new double-seat valve: What<br />
we're showcasing today could become<br />
best practice tomorrow and the<br />
standard at some point in the future.”<br />
Fig. 6: The actuators are designed to be maintenance-free. The robust design facilitates uninterrupted<br />
processing and saves valuable time and operating costs.<br />
Technical data<br />
Material in contact with product 1.4404 (AISI 316L)<br />
Material not in contact with product 1.4301 (AISI 304)<br />
Sealing material in contact with product<br />
EPDM, FKM, HNBR<br />
Ambient temperature 0 to 45 °C<br />
Air supply pressure<br />
Product pressure<br />
Safety against pressure surges<br />
Surface in contact with product<br />
Exterior surface of housing<br />
6 bar (87 psi)<br />
10 bar (145 psi<br />
50 bar<br />
Ra ≤ 0.8 μm<br />
Matte blasted<br />
Control and feedback system T.VIS ® M-20, T.VIS ® A-15<br />
Actuator type<br />
Connection fittings<br />
Identification<br />
Valve seat design<br />
Certificates<br />
Pneumatic actuator air/spring<br />
Welding ends<br />
Adhesive tag<br />
Welded seat ring<br />
CE, EHEDG, FDA<br />
GEA<br />
Düsseldorf, Germany<br />
104 PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong>
<strong>Components</strong><br />
Seals<br />
The very highest levels of precision,<br />
even with large diameters<br />
A special endless vulcanisation production method<br />
makes it possible to produce precision O-rings, even in<br />
extreme special sizes in accordance with ISO 3601.<br />
Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Michael Krüger<br />
The O-ring is the world's most frequently<br />
installed seal. But what<br />
should the user do if large-scale installations<br />
need to be sealed? In<br />
various sectors there is demand for<br />
"XXL O-rings", and the market generally<br />
has only technically limited<br />
solutions to offer here.<br />
It can be very unsatisfactory for a design<br />
engineer or user when standard<br />
precision O-rings can no longer be<br />
used in an application over a particular<br />
size because the market simply<br />
has no high-quality technical solutions<br />
to offer. Technical downgrading<br />
is a bad choice in these cases<br />
because installing a technically inferior<br />
seal will either not satisfy the<br />
requirements of the application or<br />
mean a drastic reduction in the service<br />
life of the seal and a shorter replacement<br />
interval.<br />
In sealing technology, a distinction<br />
is made between O-rings made<br />
of extruded cord and precision O-<br />
rings. Both are used across a very<br />
wide range of industrial sectors. But<br />
only precision O-rings are capable of<br />
satisfying the most stringent requirements.<br />
However, economically viable<br />
production has to date only been<br />
possible up to a maximum diameter<br />
of approx. 1,400 mm. An innovative<br />
method now means that it is possible<br />
to produce larger diameter O-rings at<br />
a fair market price.<br />
Precision O-rings are seals with a<br />
circular cross-section which are made<br />
in special tools that use compression<br />
or injection methods to vulcanise<br />
carefully calibrated rubber mixtures.<br />
This makes it possible to produce O-<br />
rings within relatively narrow production<br />
tolerances and with good<br />
surface properties. The precision<br />
O-rings made in this way are graded<br />
in accordance with the ISO 3601 only this, but it is also extremely difameter<br />
of more than 1,400 mm. Not<br />
standard with the appropriate grading,<br />
which is either N or S. Based on and hard to carry out the subsequent<br />
ficult to handle such big tool moulds<br />
previously defined vulcanisation parameters,<br />
which can be exactly ad-<br />
diameter in a manner consistent with<br />
work on the O-ring across its entire<br />
hered to, compression and injection the standard. This is why most manufacturers<br />
do not offer O-rings with a<br />
methods can be used to manufacture<br />
O-rings which demonstrate invariably diameter of more than 1,400 mm.<br />
high mechanical quality levels across<br />
their entire circumference. It is only Growing demand<br />
with this high quality level that good<br />
sealing values can be achieved over a The demand for high-quality precision<br />
O-rings with internal diameters<br />
long period in actual use.<br />
However, this method does not over 1,400 mm has, however, steadily<br />
increased in recent years. The mar-<br />
make it possible to produce O-rings of<br />
any size economically. This is because ket is essentially dominated by two<br />
of the enormous amount of work and methods: to create O-rings of the required<br />
size, extruded round cords are<br />
associated expense required to make<br />
a tool which would bear no relation joined, either through gluing or shock<br />
to the reasonable market price that vulcanisation of the ends of the cords<br />
the manufacturer of this kind of precision<br />
O-ring would be able to ask the In the case of glued O-rings, the cord<br />
in a process that is mostly unreliable.<br />
customer to pay. This generally applies<br />
to any O-ring with an internal di-<br />
shock vulcanised O-rings, the cord<br />
ends are joined using adhesive. With<br />
Fig. 1: O-ring made using the endless vulcanisation method (Photo © : COG)<br />
106 PROCESS TECHNOLOGY & COMPONENTS <strong>2022</strong>
<strong>Components</strong><br />
Seals<br />
either not at all or only to a very limited<br />
extent.<br />
Innovative production method<br />
Fig. 2: 4000 l vacuum chamber (type: process chamber for PECVD) from EDIS Anlagenbau<br />
GmbH (Photo © : EDIS Anlagenbau GmbH)<br />
The independent producer C. Otto<br />
Gehrckens has established an additional<br />
production method alongside<br />
compression and injection processes.<br />
This special endless vulcanisation<br />
production method makes it possible<br />
to produce precision O-rings with an<br />
internal diameter of up to 3,000 mm.<br />
These comply with the specifications<br />
of the ISO 3601 standard for precision<br />
O-rings. The company is currently<br />
offering O-rings produced using<br />
endless vulcanisation in various FKM,<br />
HNBR and NBR qualities with internal<br />
diameters ranging from 1,400 to<br />
3,000 mm. Greater cord thicknesses<br />
or larger internal diameters are also<br />
possible by arrangement. In this way<br />
the company has already succeeded<br />
ends are held together in special devices<br />
and then hot vulcanised with a<br />
suitable adhesive mixture.<br />
The disadvantages of these two<br />
processes are the significantly inferior<br />
physical properties of the shock vulcanised/glued<br />
area. For instance, the<br />
adhesive never has the same physical<br />
or chemically resistant properties<br />
as the seal material itself. With shock<br />
vulcanisation, this area of the material<br />
likewise has properties that differ<br />
from, and are not of the same high<br />
quality as, the rest of the O-ring. In<br />
technically challenging applications,<br />
this area is declared, as it were, to be<br />
a predetermined breaking point.<br />
A further disadvantage which is<br />
not insignificant for the user lies in<br />
the significantly greater tolerances<br />
of the round cords which are glued<br />
together or shock vulcanised. Compared<br />
to compression-moulded precision<br />
O-rings in accordance with ISO<br />
3601, these round cords reveal clear<br />
differences in dimensional stability<br />
and surface composition. This is because<br />
the process used in the production<br />
of round cords necessarily<br />
entails higher tolerances, due to the<br />
fact that the cord thickness increases<br />
at the point of exit from the extrusion<br />
jet and shrinkage and a certain resultant<br />
amount of deformation generally<br />
Fig. 3: Steam steriliser (Photo © : iStock_TotoRuga)<br />
occur during the subsequent vulcanisation<br />
process. This results in inferior<br />
sealing properties, particularly<br />
in those seals which are intended to<br />
have a longer service life. Moreover,<br />
in producing an FKM O-ring with an<br />
internal diameter of 6,000 mm.<br />
The O-rings manuf